What on Earth issue 80: Transforming our wasteful economy

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EARTH FRIENDS OF THE EARTH SCOTLAND’S MEMBERS’ MAGAZINE

Issue 80 I Spring 2020

Transforming ourwasteful economy

WHAT ON

H T R A E T L A N D’S RT H S C O F T H E E A GA Z IN E O S D N F R IE S’ MA MEMBER 20

Spring 20 Issue 80 I

#BreakFreeFromPlastic

Friends of the Earth Scotland is: > Scotland’s leading environmental campaigning organisation > An independent Scottish charity with a network of thousands of supporters and active local groups across Scotland > Part of the largest grassroots environmental network in the world, uniting over 2 million supporters, 75 national member groups and 5,000 local activist groups

Our vision is of a world where everyone can enjoy a healthy environment and a fair share of the earth’s resources.

Friends of the Earth Scotland is an independent Scottish charity SC003442

C O N T E N TS What is a Circular Economy?

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Single-use plastics phase out

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What on Earth is published by and copyright to: Friends of the Earth Scotland 5 Rose Street, Edinburgh EH2 2PR

Fracking for plastic

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T: 0131 243 2700 E: info@foe.scot W: www.foe.scot

Ella’s amazing campaigning on period plastic

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False solutions to plastic pollution

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Editor: Connal Hughes Words: Sarah Moyes Cover photo: Plastic pollution in Myanmar

by Stijn Dijkstra on Pexels Design: Emma Quinn The views expressed in What on Earth are not necessarily those of Friends of the Earth Scotland.

FoES accepts no liability for errors, omissions or incorrect data in advertisements.

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Director’s view Dr Richard Dixon, Director @Richard_Dixon As we were writing most of this issue the world seemed quite normal, but as you read it now we are clearly in very exceptional times, and we are all finding our own ways to get on with life in the new circumstances.

Many things are cancelled or postponed, with the news just in that the UN climate talks, scheduled for November, will still come to Glasgow but sometime next year.

Another consequence is that, sadly, there is no time for the promised Circular Economy Bill. Which is a shame because we've only got one planet but we in Scotland are living as if we had three planets to take resources from and dump our wastes on.

At one end of the problem we see oceans of plastic and a climate that is heading for chaos. Less visible, at least to us, is the environmental destruction and social damage done by megamines, cash crops and deforestation, all to feed our demands for things we mostly don’t really need.

As you will read in this issue, Scotland has made some good progress on things like creating a deposit return scheme for cans and bottles but on the basics we are failing, with recycling rates actually falling and far off track to meet our targets.

The Circular Economy Bill could have been the chance to do much more about how we use materials very much more efficiently than today and virtually eliminate waste. We’ll be trying to get it back on the agenda in the run up to next year’s Holyrood elections.

As well as dealing with the extraordinary crisis we are living through, we must also look to the future and make sure we set ourselves on the path to one planet living.

In Scotland, we are living as if we had three planets to take resources from and dump our wastes on.

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istockphoto.com

Online Annual General Meeting Due to the Coronavirus and ongoing prohibition on large gatherings, we will be hosting our Annual General Meeting online this year.

Saturday 27 June 2020 10:00am – 12:30pm Location: Online Register your interest in attending online by going to www.foe.scot/agm2020 The above address also includes information on the agenda, standing for the Board, and how to submit motions for debate.

Our staff team has plenty of experience in organising successful online events so be rest assured that you will be able to receive the normal updates, participate fully and ask questions.

The agenda for the AGM will be as usual and will be shared with those registered to attend in advance. We’ll also update members on the latest news about the UN climate talks scheduled for Glasgow in 2021.

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What is a circular economy?

By Sarah Moyes, Plastic and Circular Economy Campaigner

Across the world, consumption is continuing to rise putting more pressure than ever on the earth’s decreasing resources. There are also growing inequalities with alarming levels of resource use by only a small minority of the global population, with European citizens consuming far more than our fair share. So it’s clear that urgent action is needed to change how we consume and manage materials in Scotland.

Scotland currently operates under a linear economy model which is also described as take-make-waste: Raw materials are extracted from the earth, made into products, and then discarded as part of our throwaway culture. This type of economy only

Government-wide Programme for a Circular Economy, Netherlands, 2016

allows for limited recycling of resources and very little reuse of products. Under the reuse economy, many materials are used again but there is still waste from non-recyclable products.

To address the climate emergency we must drastically reduce our reliance on the planet's resources which can be done through a circular economy. Under this model products are designed to last as long as possible, are easy to repair and made out of materials that can be recycled over and over. Ideally, we would keep materials circulating for as long as possible before they become waste.

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Household goods thrown out onto an Edinburgh street.

we will need to make major changes to the way we make products and consume resources Benefits of a circular economy In Scotland, we consume as if we had three planets to take resources from and absorb the waste created. This overconsumption is clearly not sustainable.

Our material consumption accounts for 68% to 74% of our entire carbon footprint, meaning a move to a circular economy will contribute significantly to tackling the climate emergency.

In fact, it’s estimated that a circular economy would save Scotland 11 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year by 2050 – equivalent to one quarter of our current total climate emissions.

Moving to a circular economy would also reduce the burden we place on people in other countries. By keeping materials circulating in our economy for longer, the amount of waste that we see littering our streets, polluting our beaches and injuring our wildlife will be reduced.

In order to successfully move towards a circular economy, we will need to make major changes to the way we make products and consume resources. This presents huge opportunities for innovation for both existing businesses and start-up companies.

Challenges of a circular economy The transition to a circular economy is an international challenge and one that is still in the early stages. It is currently not a widely shared ambition among many other countries but the Netherlands is leading the way.

They have made significant steps by committing to move to a full circular economy by 2050, with an interim objective of a 50% reduction in the primary raw materials (minerals, fossil fuels and metals) they use by 2030.

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If the Scottish Government were to bring forward a strong and ambitious Circular Economy Bill, it could be a major step forward in addressing our contribution to the climate crisis.

A circular economy also requires technological, social and system changes in order to be achieved. The benefits and costs for the environment are not sufficiently reflected in the price of products at present. For example, plastic is seen to be convenient and cheap in relation to more sustainable products.

This sort of transformation also requires a larger cultural change. The majority of people are used to living with non-circular behavioural patterns where products are treated very much as single-use items, with reuse and repair of products uncommon.

However we have been able to change people’s non-circular behaviour before.

The plastic bag charge which was introduced in 2014 resulted in an 80-90% drop in plastic bag use in the first year alone. If we want to seriously reduce our consumption of resources, then similar behaviour changes need to be applied across society to move away from our throwaway model into one where reusing products becomes the norm.

What happens next?

In September 2019, the Scottish Government committed to creating a Circular Economy Bill in the year ahead. The subsequent consultation was a welcome step towards acknowledging our resource overconsumption with policies

including charges for environmentally harming products, mandatory public reporting of waste, and work to increase recycling rates.

However, the consultation also raised alarm bells because it lacked the fundamental changes that would actually move Scotland towards a circular economy. Crucially, it failed to set targets that would drive action and reduce our overconsumption of resources.

The Scottish Government was originally expected to produce the first draft of the Circular Economy Bill in spring. However, in light of the current crisis, Scottish Ministers have now decided that there is insufficient time to introduce all the planned legislation in this parliamentary session. For us this means that the Circular Economy Bill is one of the Bills which will not be progressed any further.

We understand that the Scottish Government has to focus much of its resources on the coronavirus health crisis right now, and we will continue to work with MSPs on how we move Scotland towards a circular economy when they have the capacity to do so.

At the time of writing, the UN climate conference in Glasgow will now be taking place in 2021. When it does arrive, all eyes will be on Scotland to see what we are doing to reduce our reliance on the planet’s natural resources with or without a Circular Economy Bill in place.

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Single-use plastics to be phased out across Europe Many of the single-use plastic items we use on a regular basis such as cutlery, plates and straws will soon be banned across Europe as the Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUP) comes into force.

The Directive was approved by the European Union in May 2019 when the UK was still a member. This means that, despite Brexit, the Directive still applies and both the Scottish and UK Governments need to adopt and implement it by mid-2021.

Plastic pollution is a huge problem in Europe.

Each year, 25.8 million tonnes of plastic waste is generated in Europe, yet only 30% of it is collected or recycled. The hope is that this new legislation will help to capture some of the remaining 70% of plastic that ends up as waste.

The first wave of action under the Directive is a full ban on the single-use items which are most frequently found washed up on beaches across Europe and for which there are alternatives readily available. The items included on the list have to be banned by Member States by mid-2021.

Under the Directive, single-use plastic items have been defined as products made wholly or partially from plastic and which are used only once (or a few times) before they are discarded. This definition also allows for the inclusion of plastic lined products such as plates and cups which are made from paper but lined with plastic.

#breakfreefromplastic brought a plastic dragon to the Council of the European Union in 2018.

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Items to be banned under the Single-Use Plastics Directive Cotton bud sticks Cutlery (forks, knives, spoons and chopsticks) Beverage stirrers Straws Plates Balloon sticks Expanded polystyrene food containers, beverage containers and cups Oxo-degradable plastics

The good news is that one of the items on the list is already banned here. In October 2019, Scotland introduced a ban on the sale and manufacture of plastic-stemmed cotton buds in order to reduce the 1.8 billion plastic buds which are sold in the UK each year.

It’s encouraging to see action on oxo-degradable plastics under the Directive too. This type of plastic, which is often used to make plastic bags and packaging, is mixed with additives to emulate biodegradation, but only breaks down into smaller particles and then microplastics. They are often used to confuse customers into thinking they are a more environmentally friendly option when they are not. You can find out more about the false solutions of plastic on page 18.

The SUP list isn’t just about banning products though; it includes different measures for different products. Other products for which there are less widely available alternatives

such as food containers and cups for beverages (including their covers and lids) only have to be reduced. And items like balloons, tobacco products, wet wipes and sanitary products require either awareness raising, different labelling, or Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), where producers are responsible for the cost of managing their products at the end of life. The deadlines on these parts of the Directive range from mid-2021 to December 2024 depending on the product.

Given the sheer volume of plastic waste, there is no doubt that implementing the Single Use Plastics Directive is going to have a big impact.

However, it’s also important to remember that our plastic crisis goes beyond the number of items listed in the Directive. Just because we get rid of straws and cotton buds, doesn’t mean that we will suddenly be free of all the plastic pollution on our beaches.

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Sowerby's beaked whale on an East Lothian beach.

SMASS 2019

Minke whale on Orkney.

SMASS 2019

Another huge problem for our oceans is lost and abandoned fishing gear known as ghost gear Another huge problem for our oceans is lost and abandoned fishing gear, also known as ghost gear. More than half a million tonnes of fishing gear is estimated to be lost or abandoned each year around the world, which has a devastating impact on our marine life.

In October last year, a pregnant minke whale was found washed up dead and tangled in a fishing net in Sanday, Orkney. A Sowerby’s beaked whale was also stranded on Gullane Beach in East Lothian, with green cord embedded around its neck. The whale had been entangled for so long that skin had begun to grow over the top of the rope in some places.

Under the SUP, there will also be measures on fishing gear including harmonised product design, awareness raising and EPR so that manufacturers will need to bear the costs of collecting fishing nets that are lost at sea.

The Scottish Government has already confirmed that it fully supports the EU’s vision to phase out single-use plastics. All countries are encouraged to treat the Directive as a floor rather than a ceiling and to go further in setting ambitious targets to tackle plastic pollution.

The Scottish Government was due to consult soon on how to implement the Directive. Once implemented, it will need strong enforcement and continued monitoring to ensure these environmentally damaging products stay away from our beaches, streets, wildlife and countryside for good.

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Why we can’t recycle our way out of the climate crisis Recycling is important. Of course it is.

If you are presented with the option to recycle your plastic bottle or throw it in the bin, then recycling will always be the correct answer.

However, right now the recycling rates in Scotland are not as high as they should be.

The latest available figures show that only 44.7% of household waste was recycled in 2018, a decrease of 0.9% on the previous year which means that the majority of our household waste is not being recycled.

A little discussed problem with recycling is that it also gives plastic polluting companies like Coca-Cola the opportunity to greenwash their image to customers. They can justify their production of eye-watering amounts of plastic just because the end product can be recycled.

Last year, Coca Cola was ranked as the world’s top plastic-polluting corporation by Break Free From Plastic. The company makes around 3 million tons of plastic packaging a

year, which equates to around 200,000 bottles a minute!

Let’s not forget that plastic is made from fossil fuels so its production also drives the climate emergency. So even if we manage to recycle much more than we currently do, we will still be producing plastic on a mass scale and be unable to recycle the huge volumes of bottles that are made every minute.

On top of that we have some types of plastic that cannot actually be recycled, plastic waste that is exported to South East Asia (because out of sight, out of mind, right?) and plastic containers which cannot be recycled because they are contaminated with food and drink.

So how do we get ourselves out of the climate and waste crisis? Well it won’t be through recycling alone. The only way we can really do it is to drastically reduce the amount of plastic we are creating in the first place – whether it is recycled or not.

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Ineos: fracking for plastic

By Sarah Moyes Scotland is the home of plastic production.

Ineos in Grangemouth is the site of the largest producer of plastic in the UK, and one of the biggest in Europe.

Growing up in a village next to Grangemouth, I have always been very aware of the Ineos plant, which was bought from BP in 2005. I could see the flaring from my home and was taught about the blast zone in school. At the time, like a lot of people in the area, I wasn’t fully aware of the environmental impact of Ineos both locally and around the world.

Ineos is one of the biggest players when it comes to plastic production. Having taken advantage of the shale gas boom in America, the company went on to build its own infrastructure to import fracked ethane gas from sites in Pennsylvania and Texas to plants in Grangemouth and at Rafnes in Norway.

In Scotland, the ethane is processed into

ethylene to make plastic pellets which are then used by manufacturers to make anything from plastic bags to food packaging and toys.

The first shipment of fracked gas arrived in Scotland in 2016 across the virtual pipeline created by Ineos which allows huge ships to bring 800,000 tonnes of ethane to Europe a year. But before the gas leaves the US, it needs to get from its fracking site to the coastline at one of the ports.

In order to do this, the 300-mile Mariner East 1 pipeline transfers ethane from the Marcellus Shale region through Pennsylvania. The pipeline was shut down for a short period in 2018 due to sinkholes appearing and worries that a potential leak could cause “catastrophic results impacting the public.” Local residents have resisted these pipeline developments due to understandable concerns about pollution, dangers and impacts on our climate.

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Similarly, those who live in Grangemouth and the surrounding areas have had to endure air pollution, flaring, smoke, noise and even bad smells coming from the Ineos plant, not to mention all the millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases which are being released into the atmosphere.

Not content with importing fracked gas from the US, Ineos has remained in the headlines for its continued desire to frack in the UK too. This is despite huge public opposition including 60,000 people responding to a public consultation to reject the industry in Scotland.

While it’s clear that fracking is a huge environmental problem that communities across the world continue to fight, the plastic pollution problem in Scotland is also damaging our marine environment.

Plastic pellets, or nurdles as they are also known, are extremely damaging for the

environment. These lentil-sized pellets, which are made at Ineos from the imported ethane, act as sponges soaking up all the toxins around them and then are mistaken for food by marine life and sea birds. In 2018, environmental charity Fidra found a staggering 450,000 plastic pellets on a North Queensferry beach just 12 miles from the Ineos plant in Grangemouth. That’s despite Ineos having a ‘Zero Pellet Loss’ programme in place.

While fracking might not be taking place in Scotland right now, we cannot forget the fact that the Scottish Government still allows imported fracked gas into the country which is causing environmental problems for both communities along the pipeline and residents who live near the plant in Grangemouth. As long as this is allowed to take place, we will be fuelling the plastic pollution crisis both here in Scotland and around the world.

Nurdles found during a beach clean by Wardie Bay Beachwatch

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Ella’s campaign to End Period Plastic Sarah Moyes spoke to Ella Daish, who has been campaigning to eliminate all plastic from menstrual products.

In just two years an incredible 205,000 people have signed Ella’s petition calling for manufacturers and supermarkets to remove plastic from the period products they produce.

The petition covers tampons, applicators, pads, wrapper and packaging, all of which have a detrimental impact on our environment.

Ella reflects on what first inspired her to start campaigning, “When I became aware of how much plastic was in the products I had been using, I was horrified. I did some research and was shocked to learn that period products contain up to 90% plastic and take over 500 years to break down! I spoke to my colleagues, friends and family, hoping that they were aware of this, but they reacted in the same way.”

“I knew if small brands made them without plastic then there was no excuse for big brands not to do the same. It frustrated me and I kept thinking ‘what can I as a postal worker really do about this?’, but I knew I had to do something because if I didn’t, then who would? I saw the success of online campaigns, which compelled me to take a stand against period plastic by starting my own.”

Brands are now beginning to change their products because of her campaigning work.

Ella says, “Manufacturers and supermarkets are starting to make significant changes and the highlights for me so far have been Sainsbury’s and Aldi stopping the production of their plastic tampon applicators to ‘minimise the use of unnecessary plastic’! This collectively saves 16.7 tonnes of plastic annually and I’m excited for more changes coming up this year!”

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I knew I had to do something because if I didn’t, then who would?

Despite the successes, it has not all been plain sailing she reflects, “The main challenge was in the first year, decision makers didn’t take me very seriously and likely thought I would go away with their long emails and excuses, but unfortunately for them, that didn’t happen.

I continued regardless and this persistence paid off. The second year has been incredible, with manufacturers and supermarkets finally accepting requests to meet.”

Ella shares her tips for people who want to have a plastic free period; “My advice is to go for something you are comfortable using. If you use conventional products, switch to eco-friendly versions that do the same job, minus the plastic!”

Ella’s achievements since she started her End Period Plastic campaign show that it is possible for individuals and groups to take a stand against some of the biggest companies and win. She has this advice for anyone who wants to start their own environmental campaigns, “You can do anything if you put your mind to it.

If you are passionate about something, raise your voice and take action, ask lots of questions and never give up, we truly can all make a difference!”

Over 400 million single-use period products are disposed of every year in Scotland and around 340,000 are flushed down the toilet every single day.

Last year, Zero Waste Scotland launched a #TrialPeriod campaign to encourage people to try reusable menstrual products. Find out more at www.trialperiod.scot All images: Ella Daish

Sign Ella’s petition at https://www.change.org/p/make-all-menstrual-products-plastic-free Follow her campaign: @elladaish @ella_daish @elladaish1

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How our waste is dumped on the global south The global trade in plastic waste is a major problem. Each year, countries in the rich global north wash their hands of their plastic waste by packing it onto ships and sending it to South East Asia to deal with. This has huge environmental and health impacts for the people who live in the countries we dump our waste on.

Do you really know where your plastic ends up after you put it in the recycling bin? For many people, the assumption is that it is taken away to a local recycling plant. But in reality and as exposed on the BBC show War on Plastic last year, many plastic items that sit on supermarket shelves and the plastic bags we carry them home in, end up thousands of miles away.

Often these materials can’t actually be recycled when they reach their export destination.

Instead they end up being illegally burned and dumped in landďŹ lls and waterways which causes major health and environmental problems for communities in those areas.

From 1998 to 2016, the top ten plastic waste exporters (which included the US, Japan and the UK) exported a total of 168 million tonnes of waste, most of which ended up in China.

In 2018, the UK alone sent 429,711 tonnes of plastic waste abroad with almost a quarter going to Malaysia followed by Turkey, Indonesia and Taiwan.

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Destinations for plastic waste exported from the UK

24% 19% 17% 12% MALAYSIA

TURKEY

INDONESIA

TAIWAN

12% 9% 8% NETHERLANDS

HONG KONG

POLAND Source: Plastic Atlas 2019 /Greenpeace

But why should these poorer countries be left to deal with the results of our overconsumption of plastic and our throwaway culture? This huge inequality between the countries exporting waste and those who find it dumped on their doorstep is a grave environmental injustice. Time and time again when it comes to environmental problems, those who have not contributed to the problem are suffering from the effects of our wasteful society.

However, these countries are now starting to fight back. Two years ago, China decided to ban the import of any bales of plastic waste which was more than 0.5% contaminated by non-recyclable material – an improvement on the previous standard which permitted 1.5% contamination.

It might not seem like much, but this move has essentially closed China’s doors to plastic waste imports and in turn nearby countries like Indonesia and Thailand are now drowning in plastic waste. In fact, the problem has gotten so bad that in Thailand, the imports of plastic scrap increased nearly seven-fold in the first four months of 2018 compared with the same period in 2017.

The good news is the tide is starting to turn for other countries too. Thailand and Malaysia are due to ban the import of plastic scrap by 2021 with Vietnam to follow suit by 2025. But with industry planning to increase plastic production by 40% in the next decade, it looks like we’re going to need a new way to get rid of our plastic waste which we can no longer just carelessly dump abroad.

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Avoiding plastic false solutions To tackle plastic pollution, we need to drastically reduce the volume of plastic that we consume in our everyday lives. However, there is now a growing concern that instead of focusing on reducing the amount of plastic we use, we are rushing to replace conventional fossil fuel based plastics with alternatives which might not be as environmentally friendly as we first thought.

The term ‘bioplastics’ is used to describe plastics which are bio-based, biodegradable or both. These types of plastics are based partly or fully on biomass resources such as sugar or starch. The picture is further complicated by the fact there are multiple different types of bioplastics which all break down under different conditions at various timescales.

Problems with bioplastics Over the next few years, plastic production is expected to significantly increase which means there is going to be even more demand on the production of alternatives to meet the need to move away from fossil fuels. Only 5% of the global production of bioplastics is expected to take place in Europe, with a staggering 81% due to take place in Asia, where countries could face impacts including loss of natural habitats, pollution and conflicts over land.

On Facebook @Cartoonralph.Underhill

Not only is there a problem with growing and producing bioplastics, but it is clear that they are not the answer to our overconsumption of plastic either. Bioplastics are not all designed to be disposed off in the same way and they do not break down under the same conditions.

Composting If the incorrect bioplastic enters a waste system, it can contaminate the materials for which the system was intended.

Take compostable plastics for example. On paper, they sound like a great solution because they can break down into carbon dioxide, water and biomass. However, that will only happen under specific conditions where heat, moisture, aeration and microbes are present.

Industrial compostable plastic, which tends to be thicker, needs higher temperatures of between 50°C and 60°C to breakdown whereas home compostable plastic, which is thinner, can break down between 20°C and 30°C in your own composter.

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While you might think that ordering your takeaway coffee in a compostable cup is the greener option, it will most likely only break down under industrial conditions which most people don’t have access to at home.

While you might think that ordering your takeaway coffee in a compostable cup is the greener option, it will most likely only break down under industrial conditions which most people don’t have access to at home. Putting it in the recycling bin won’t help either and it may end up contaminating the recyclable plastic in the bin. It means most of these cups will end up in the landfill where they cannot break down because the conditions needed for that to happen will not be met.

Oxo-degradable plastics While oxo-degradable plastics aren’t considered bioplastics, they are still used as a false solution to tackle the plastic crisis. This type of plastic is a conventional plastic which is treated with an additive to imitate biodegradation. However they don’t fully break down and actually just leave behind tiny fragments or microplastics which work their way into our soil and waterways. The environmental damage of oxo-degradable plastics has been identified by the EU and the good news is they will be included under the Single-Use Plastics Directive which will see them banned in Scotland by mid-2021.

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Greenwashing To most of us, the terms bioplastic, biodegradable or compostable sound much more appealing, especially against the images of plastic pollution that are now commonly seen in the news and on social media.

This gives manufacturers a free pass to not deal with the real environmental problems caused by plastic and allows people to continue their overconsumption of plastic rather than focusing on reducing their plastic use.

However, these terms are very misleading to customers who see them as the more eco-friendly option. In reality these plastics do not solve the problem of plastic pollution, and often create even more issues as they are thrown away with the belief that they will completely break down.

In theory, moving plastic production from fossil fuels to more natural resources can be a step in the right direction if it is done properly. Bioplastics certainly have a role to play in a circular economy, but until we fully understand their impact from production through to the end of life and supply the correct conditions for them to break down, we cannot use them as a solution to ďŹ x our global plastic problem.

This type of greenwashing has allowed manufacturers and shops to plaster the words 'biodegradable’ on products without any explanation of what conditions are actually needed for the product to break down or little analysis of its true environmental impact.

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What are supermarkets doing to cut plastic?

Take a walk down an aisle in your local supermarket and it might be hard to think they have made any progress on reducing plastic.

The shelves are still full of food and drink wrapped in plastic, and you’ll probably see plastic bags of some description at the checkout. It can be hard to do your shopping without your basket being filled with plastic.

Supermarkets in the U.K. put 59 billion pieces of plastic packaging onto the market a year!

This means they are one of the biggest plastic polluting culprits and need to be taking swift

and radical action if they are to curb the huge volume of plastic they use.

On one hand, supermarkets have slowly started to wake up to the problem of plastic pollution and have begun to eliminate some bits of plastic from their shelves. But the scale of the problem is huge and will require much stronger action if we are to tackle it.

We’ve taken a closer look at what supermarkets have been doing so far to help tackle plastic pollution and the targets they’ve set to reduce their plastic use in the years to come.

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The Refillery in Edinburgh. Sarah Moyes

Sainsbury’s has set itself a target of reducing plastic packaging by 50% by 2025 with a focus on the most problematic items which includes milk bottles, packaging for fruit and vegetables and fizzy drinks. Steps taken so far include removing plastic on some items like cauliflowers and organic bananas, and has replaced black plastic trays on products like ready meals with a recyclable alternative.

brand products by the end of 2020. Tesco's plans also include an end to the use of small plastic bags for produce and bakery items, removing secondary lids on products like yoghurt, and eliminating 200 million wrappers used to pack clothing and greetings cards.

Tesco is also one of several retailers that allows customers to bring their own containers if they are buying food from the deli counter.

Since 2018, Asda said it has removed 8,000 tonnes of packaging which is the equivalent to 700 million empty water bottles. It also removed single-use carrier bags from its online grocery delivery and collection orders, which will save over 85 million carrier bags from production each year. The shop has also stopped selling plastic straws, and removed 92% of the plastic sleeves from own brand greeting cards saving 50 million individual cellophane bags every year.

Last summer, Waitrose set up a refill station in four of its stores which lets customers fill up their own containers with pasta, rice, frozen fruit and even beer. While the concept which copies that of independent plastic free shops should be praised, it’s only four out of 338 and none are in Scotland yet.

At a national level, the store has made a commitment to make its own-brand packaging reusable or made out of widely recycled or home compostable material by 2023. The shop has also removed single-use coffee cups and replaced unrecyclable black plastic ready meals trays with coloured packaging made from recycled plastics.

This year, Tesco became the first UK retailer to remove plastic from its own and branded multipack tinned food replacing it with plastic free multibuys as part of its commitment to remove 1 billion pieces of plastic from its own

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Morrisons has begun to trial plastic free fruit and vegetable aisles in some of its stores, but the move has yet to be rolled out across the UK. It has also set targets to reduce own branded plastic packaging by 25% by 2050 and make it all 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable. Like competitors, it also removed black plastic trays from ready meals.

The #TooCoolForPlastic campaign by Iceland has recently launched a trial across selected stores of 38 fresh fruit and vegetables products in plastic free packaging with items like celery, grapes, and tomatoes being sold in dierent packaging. However, a previous trial on selling bananas in paper banding had to be stopped early because it led to an increase in food waste across stores.

Lidl has taken a more innovative approach to dealing with plastic pollution by launching a new type of packaging which is made from plastic recovered by beaches and coastlines

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in South East Asia as part of a company target to make half of packaging from recycled materials by 2025.

Aldi has a 10 point plastic and packaging pledge which includes educating customers on the importance of waste reduction, and aiming to have 100% of all its label packaging either recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2022.

Overall, it does seem like our supermarkets are beginning to see plastic as a problem they need to tackle. However, they have a huge challenge ahead if they are to meet their plastic reduction targets, most of which come into force in just a few years time.

The worry is that with many of the targets focusing on making plastic recyclable, we still have our work cut out to reduce our consumption of plastic whether you can recycle it or not.

Top tips to help you cut down on single use plastics • Carry a refillable water bottle and remember your reusable coffee cup

• Get cooking and take your own lunch to work • Choose loose fruit and vegetables without plastic packaging

• Stock up on food cupboard staples in a bulk buy shop

• Avoid fast fashion, support local charity shops and buy second-hand

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Reuse glass jars and takeaway food containers Wrap presents with brown paper and paper tape Swap your plastic toothbrush for a bamboo one Switch your disposable razor for a metal one Swap your shower gel and shampoo bottles for bars