The Big Plastic Count

Early day motion 550, tabled 25 March 2024 by Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru). Signed by 17 members.

That this House congratulates the thousands of schools, households, community groups and businesses that came together to mark the Big Plastic Count between 11 and 17 March; acknowledges that this annual citizen science investigation provides a unique snapshot of the scale of the UK’s plastic crisis; notes that the study by Greenpeace UK and Everyday Plastic provides valuable data about our plastic footprint; highlights that almost a quarter of a million people took part in the Big Plastic Count in 2022, which revealed that a quarter of a million participants threw away 6.4 million pieces of packaging waste in one week, yet only 12% was likely recycled; and calls on the UK Government to ban plastic waste exports, set a moratorium on new incinerators, and implement a Deposit Return Scheme for plastic bottles.

Signatures by party: Scottish National Party 6, Labour 4, Plaid Cymru 3, DUP 1, Independent 1, Labour/Co-operative 1, Liberal Democrat 1.