The Big Plastic Count - the UK's biggest ever investigation into household plastic waste for one week, 16-22 May 2022 (UK only)

 I’m joining #TheBigPlasticCount – the UK’s biggest ever investigation into household plastic waste. For one week, 16–22 May, people all over the country are counting their plastic packaging waste to help gather new, game-changing evidence of the true scale of the plastic problem. The results will show the government what really needs to be done to tackle it, and the more people who take part, the more impact we'll have. Will you join me? Here’s the link: https://act.gp/3iOmgvD

How do I order my pack?

When you sign up you’ll be asked for your mailing address to receive a physical pack. Of course it’s plastic-free and printed on recycled paper, but you can also opt out if you’d rather download a digital version.

Can we take part as a group?

We’d love community groups and teams of colleagues to get together and join The Big Plastic Count! Simply sign up individually and then you can swap tips during the week and share your results between yourselves.

My pack hasn’t arrived yet, what can I do?

Most packs will arrive a week before the count in May. If there’s an issue though you can access the digital pack here or it’s in the email you recieved when you first signed up. It includes a printable tally sheet – or you can tally online too.

What do I do if I miss a day of counting?

Don’t worry if you miss a day of counting – when you submit your results you can select how many days you counted for.

What if I miss an item of plastic?

If everyone does 7 whole days and counts all their plastic waste we get better data, but if you miss something, don’t worry! Your data is still important.

How do I work out which category to put an item in?

Use your instinct and judgement to categorise your plastic, you’ll probably get it right! But if you’re still unsure and would like some more help, visit our help page where you can find a long list of examples and definitions.

What aren’t we counting?

Don’t include: plasters, medication packaging, non-dairy milk/juice cartons (TetraPak), nappies, dog poo bags, plastic cutlery or period products.

What if we use a lot of plastic?

Please remember, this isn’t about feeling guilty about the amount of plastic you use! Too much single-use plastic is produced and there aren’t reusable alternatives that suit everyone’s needs. Together we’re gathering the evidence needed to push for proper action on plastic.

What should I do with my plastic afterwards?

Dispose of your plastic waste in the same way you would normally – reuse what you can, recycle what you can and throw away the rest. We know it may feel disheartening, but you’re doing your bit, and with the evidence you’re helping us build, we’ll push the government, big brands and supermarkets to do theirs.

Why is The Big Plastic Count only over one week

The aim for The Big Plastic Count is to get lots and lots of people involved, counting their household plastic packaging. One week is enough time to collect useful data without taking up too much of people's time.

How do you work out my footprint?

Once we have an individual household’s count results, we apply national data on different types of plastic to calculate how much, on average, would be collected for recycling, what’s then likely to happen to it, and what that means for your footprint.

I wish there was something like this here in Spain, although I am hoping that after the UK one, they may follow because it is linked to Greenpeace! I will be counting my plastic all the same, just out of curiosity!

It will be really interesting to see the results! I fear that we already know it will be bad, unfortunately official bodies like numbers, so that is the way it is done!

The blog song for today is: "Isis"  by Bob Dylan

TTFN