WAR ON PLASTIC WITH HUGH AND ANITA

Supermarkets are responsible for a THIRD of the plastic packaging that we buy in the UK, but offer very limited choices for customers who want to shop without so much single-use plastic. If you, like us, have had enough of so much unnecessary plastic packaging all over our supermarket shopping then you can get involved with #OurPlasticFeedback.
We know that supermarkets love to get “customer feedback” so we’re doing just that and feeding the plastic back to them!
Over the next 7 days, people across the country who want supermarkets to change their ways can join the #OurPlasticFeedback - grab that annoying piece of plastic, write your message on it and drop it off at the supermarket it came from. That will encourage them to think about how they package their food and sell it... And please take a selfie or better still a video and share on #OurPlasticFeedback.
Change is coming!

[@robwebster4895]

We have soft plastic recycling bins in just about all supermarkets here in Aus, and it seems to work pretty well too, but before they came up with a reasonable solution to reduce that problem, they created another packaging monster, The Moisture Absorption Pad. They use these in the bottom of the plastic trays that we buy our meat in at the supermarkets to absorb any fluids that may leak from the meat on it's journey from the market to your frypan so you don't get the fluids all over your kitchen when you open the meat for cooking. Yeah right, I'm sure they're really concerned about the state of my kitchen when they also sell the products that I use to clean my kitchen. The actual use for these absorption pads is to soak up the excess water that they inject into the meat to increase it's sale weight. So in the first place it's ripping off the customer by making them pay for not just the weight of water, but also the weight of the absorption pad itself, but my biggest concern with them is, what's going to happen in a few years when we've got thousands of acres of these things sitting in landfill globally, soaking up 5 times their weight of the rainfall, stopping the rain from re-entering back into the ground water? The rainfall also plays a big part in the degradation of the landfill, so it's going to take longer to break down the other waste, increasing the problems associated with landfill. I know there's a lot of great uses for these things when used with a bit of forethought in your own garden, but in landfill, they're going to become a huge problem in the not too distant future. So while you're up there on your soapbox anyway, why not throw out a shout or two about the next environmental problem before it really becomes one?

[@LitoGeorge]

Excellent post Rob. They do the same in Canada and its bloody atrocious.

[@BillyMNeitz]

If they even take your plastic the workers are just going to throw it away for the week till people stop doing it.

[@julia7711]

If it fills their skip they will have to pay for extra empty which might make them notice. Our supermarkets have gone plastic bag free finally woohoo

[@barrywaddington3009]

Thank you once again for standing up and making a change. Hugh, you're a hero to the planet.

[@helenalldridge1145]

Hugh and Anita you're hero's xxxx

[@savedfaves]

Delighted to see this. Always annoyed by this. Amazing to see David Attenborough still involved at 93.

[@cavemanfisher3340]

What!! He's 93 wow, love you sir David Attenborough living legend great man

[@2learn4ever]

I've given up using plastic as much as I possibly can. We don't have glass milk bottles any more so I chose the cartons rather than the plastic bottles. However, my local Lidl has recycling bins for paper and plastic returns. So it doesn't quite seem like a protest when I bring them back, because they've invited me to bring them back!! :-) I don't like recycling plastic 'cos the stuff just keeps coming back!

[@ryamcable]

Someone has to start a non plastic grocer for this to catch on. Unless the big supermarkets lose profits, they wont do shit.

[@andrewjones-productions]

Well that is the point here really. By handing back our plastic, we are also creating cost for the supermarkets. Costs are what reduce profit, so this is also a viable approach so long as enough people do it everyday until supermarkets announce changes.

[@vallerydo]

I love this movement

[@SceneArtisan]

Great idea. Force them (and other companies too!) to use paper bags made from ONLY recycled paper/card etc. #ourplasticfeedback "Less plastic, PLEASE!" Right on, Sir David! :)

[@banjax66]

I have NEVER seen that many people taking their plastic wrappers back to a supermarket...

[@susanfryer1616]

Well we,ll start right now next 7 days

[@denisecornes5625]

I am trying to get my "village" to join in with reducing plastic as a community project. Hoping to hold a meeting to discuss how we can all "do our bit" has anyone any suggestions please or is there a "pack" that I can get hold of for the best way to go about this. Thank you

[@whiteedk]

Shared on Facebook. Denmark should be in this too!

[@romancorey6796]

In America most produce isnt wrapped in plastic.

[@FFRIASBW]

If you don't want, don't buy it. And don't trow away your plastic, just reclicle it.

[@Morticia147]

Most recycling plastic gets burned or shipped into other countries, thats's what recycling means most of the time!

[@areia511]

@@Morticia147 clearly hasnt watched the show has he.

[@ibbsie111]

This is great but UK is only a small part of the problem just visited Naples where plastic rubbish accumulates daily

[@ashleypallis3522]

Absloutely !

[@lilianthompson5586]

Been leaving my plastic packaging behind at the supermarkets too!

[@mabc009]

If you keep buying all of those plastic products, you provide an incentive for the companies to continue selling them to you.

[@Morticia147]

Plastic wraped products are cheaper than to loose stuff. So inf you're on a budget you don't have a joice - I would recommend watch the TV show "War on plastics" It's said easy "don't buy it" if you maybe don't habe a joice.

[@hysope5]

Did it work ?....

[@lunayahwitch]

Shared to FB

[@davidconian6147]

Im wive u stop all plastic please

[@heavyrocknroll]

1:18 Karen Gillan is that you?

[@alanroberts4060]

Here here .

[@jacobnighthorse7893]

Well done hugh

[@susanfryer1616]

I,m all for paper and card no plastic Much less plastic please

[@gerardjohnson2106]

Plastic is just as important to food safety as refrigeration and less polluting than automobiles. So give up your refrigerator and car for the good of "green". Produce and preserve your own food. The very worst land fill food packaging is "Tetra Pak". I eat out avg one time per month. The remainder of my meals are prepared in my kitchen. In ty2000 the average family spent 50% of food budget eating meals prepared outside the home. Duh! I recycle all plastics and other materials as accepted in my area. I do not favor eliminating plastics from food packaging, drink vessels and consumer goods such as toiletries. Plastics are essential to food safety and health. I was reared in a house with no running water, indoor plumbing or electricity and heated with wood. I ain't going back. So DAMN your plastic protest.

[@gerardjohnson2106]

@Rose Rose : You appear to be very educated about plastic packaging. How educated are you about food borne pathogens? The plastic is not nearly as toxic and/or deadly as pathogens and contaminants food would bring to your mouth without plastic packaging.

[@hookedonwood5830]

Sorry Hugh.. with you in many cases but this could be a massive environmental disaster with such "unintelligent" approach to plastic. Totally agree that plastic in the nature is a big issue but you should target the government for securing collection and recycling of plastic that in many cases is much more CO2 friendly than for instance recycled paper. The BIG issue is food waste! Proper packaging to prevent contamination and to keep a controlled atmosphere designed for the product is not possible without well designed plastic packaging and if we waste more food we need to turn more planet into food factories.. NOT the way to go. Be intelligent recycle your plastic and be happy about it. Don't waste it to the nature.!

[@WastelandPuppy]

Far too reasonable for RiverCottageKaren and his KarenFriends...

[@Morticia147]

We simply can't afford to produce more and more plastic, we ruin our environment with that and we use up a valuable source (oil) for something as stupid as wrapping and fuel

[@hookedonwood5830]

It can be recycled - that's the point! and you can make plastic out of other bio materials. Wrapping/packaging should not be used just for fun but used correctly it extend shelf life and reduce food waste! This is very important to not through overboard with a black and white approach that Hugh advocates. It should however not end up in nature. The biggest problems with plastic in nature comes mainly from 3rd world countries with no good sanitation systems to collect and proces it. and this video sadly derails the debate to a very simplified level with a lot of unhappy endings (for the planet).

[@WastelandPuppy]

All you're doing is causing the employees of your supermarket unnecessary work in the name of some social media likebait. Just recycle your plastic? What do you need the hashtag for? Probably because it's more about the event than about the environment.

[@Morticia147]

Most recycling plastic gets burned or shipped into other countries, thats's what recycling means most of the time!

[@areia511]

have you actually watched the show, its proved your plastic isnt going where you believe its going. if supermarkets are clued up on this they can simply be ready with a large recycling bin out front.

[@karenthompson5965]

You are right I work in a supermarket we don't need this hassle . Wonder if Hugh or Anita would like me to go and hassle them when they were at work .I believe in recycling but not hassling people trying to do a job

[@MrMurraymanson]

Only the Sovereign Lord Jehovah can save the planet. Revelation 11:18 .......and bring to ruin those ruining the earth. That prophesy was written nearly 2000 years ago when the earth was still in pristine condition.

[@petercarlson811]

Why bitch about the plastic after you have already paid for it? Don't buy it in the first place.