Sep 20th, 2017
Bottle Deposit
By Moon Saker
Can you believe it? Everyday the UK throws away 16 million plastic bottles, these end up littering our beaches, countryside and parks. Plastic pollution is a huge problem – but there is a quick and simple solution. We just have to act fast.
A bottle deposit scheme could stop millions of bottles clogging up landfills each year, and this week Scotland announced that they would be introducing one. It is a simple idea, but will make a huge difference.
The UK government aren’t convinced yet, but on Wednesday, 38 Degrees members will hand a huge petition to Michael Gove, the minister for the Environment. But more signatures are needed to keep the pressure up.
The government talk the talk about being green, but now it is time to walk the walk. Please sign the petition before it’s handed in, it takes less than 30 seconds:
Plastic pollution is a huge problem, and a deposit scheme may seem like a small step, but it could mean up to 96% of plastic bottles would be returned for recycling. We have already seen that with the 5p plastic bag charge, and the successful 38 Degrees campaign to get supermarkets to switch to paper cotton buds, small changes do add up.
So far, 240,000 38 Degrees members have already signed the Surfers Against Sewage petition asking the UK government need to follow Scotland’s lead. And Wednesday’s petition hand-in is another chance for people power to influence big government policy.
As a member of 38 Degrees, you’re one of hundreds of thousands of people across the UK taking action to tackle plastic pollution. Together we can make sure the government takes the next step to cut plastic waste – by introducing a bottle deposit scheme.
No one wants to have their holidays ruined by plastic littering beaches and parks, but with a bottle deposit scheme we have a chance to put an end to this. Will you join 240,000 others and add your name to the petition?
