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Plastics: Why we must act now

Many of the sea creatures we love – birds, fish, turtles and whales – die because of the plastic that’s suffocating our seas.

Plastic is choking our oceans.

Sir David Attenborough told us during Blue Planet 2 that “we dump eight million tonnes of plastic into the sea every year”. It’s killing and harming marine life.

  • Turtles eat plastic bags mistaking them for jellyfish
  • Seabirds are found with their stomachs full of plastic items
  • Plastic debris can get lodged in coral and affect the health of reefs
  • Microplastics are consumed by animals like plankton, passing the problem back up the food chain – to us.

Plastic is found in the deepest reaches of the ocean, and even in remote Arctic sea ice. It’s a sobering example of our footprint on Earth.

As our plastic consumption is set to skyrocket, it’s clear that urgent action is needed.

But what can we do to help?

We need to act now – there’s no time to waste. Schemes like bottle deposits are a good place to start, but we’re so reliant on plastics that we need to do a lot more to wean ourselves off them. A full plan to ban avoidable single use plastics by 2025 – such as plastic cups and cutlery – could make the real difference we need to protect the planet.

We also need businesses to take the issue seriously, as some are already – whether it’s supermarkets having a plastic free aisle, companies finding alternatives to plastic packaging, or a business like Sky bringing the issue to life for customers.

As individuals we can also help by making lifestyle changes, like recycling more or drinking from reusable water bottles. You might think your contribution is small, but together our collective action is powerful.

Join the fight

We need urgent action – from individuals, businesses and governments. We are all part of the problem, and we all have a role to play in fighting back.

We need to build a huge movement if we're going to turn the tide on plastic.

Join the fight against plastic pollution