Athens: Households in Britain throw away some 1.7 billion pieces of plastic every week, according to a new report by the UK’s Big Plastic Count initiative.

According to the report, only 17 percent of the country’s plastic waste is recycled while 58 percent is incinerated, 14 percent exported, and 11 percent landfilled.

Stressing that incineration releases toxic gases that pollute the air and worsen climate change, the report said this state of affairs does not match the government’s own commitment to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

‘What’s worse, 18 new incinerators are being built in the UK – from Glasgow to the Isle of Wight,’ it said.

It added the country’s recycling systems cannot cope with the sheer amount of plastic waste.

It warned: ‘What’s more, the recycling process releases microplastics into our air and water – worsening the very issue it’s designed to solve.’

Against this background, the companies and the government should take action to cut plastic production at least 7
5 percent by 2040, it urged.

Source: Philippines News Agency