Campaigners call on Shropshire MP to 'Fight the Plastic'

Fight the Plastic, a group of 17 activists, wants to push for the government to put the burden of the cost of recycling on manufacturers.

Environmentalist Dave Luckhurst, who is spearheading the campaign, says it will increase recycling rates.

He said: "The legislation needs to be changed. We are lobbying to try and get the government to change the law to make packaging manufacturers pay more towards the cost of recycling.

"At the moment they only pay 10 per cent, but in Germany 100 per cent of the cost is borne by the manufacturers and 98 per cent of plastic in Germany is recycled."

Support

Mr Luckhurst and other members met again with Ludlow MP Philip Dunne to discuss the work being done by the government to reduce plastic waste, and ask him to back the call for an increased levy on manufacturers.

After the meeting Mr Dunne said: "I support their work in raising awareness in the community and local schools, not least as a member of the Environmental Audit Committee in Parliament which has been undertaking enquiries into reducing plastic waste.

"I pointed out the significant steps being taken by the government to encourage consumers and producers to reduce plastic waste, increase recyclable plastic and encourage alternatives to plastic in packaging.

"These include the levy on plastic bags which has reduced usage by over 85 per cent in its first year and the current consultation on banning single-use plastic cups, straws and cotton bud stems."

Mr Dunne said last week's budget announcement included a number of further measures, like a tax on production and imports of non-recycled plastics, and a plan to reform the Plastic Producer Responsibility System, which aims to incentivise producers to create recyclable packaging and penalise plastic which is difficult to recycle.

As part of their campaign, members of Fight the Plastic are also crowd funding to raise £11,000 to employ a part-time co-ordinator for 12 months.

Mr Luckhurst said: "The co-ordinator would be tasked with carrying the project forward, carrying it out to other communities and up to higher levels. They will also help to promote our bid to become a plastic-free community."

The Fight the Plastic group launched in February this year in response to David Attenborough’s compelling Blue Planet series, which highlighted plastic pollution and the devastating impact on world oceans.

Their latest push comes as new figures today reveal more than half of Brits believe single-use plastics will be socially unacceptable by 2021, and almost three quarters have reduced the amount of signle-use plastics in the last year.

The study, commissioned by Sky Ocean Rescue, also found that seven in 10 of us think single use plastics should carry cigarette- style warning labels.