Plastic – what's the problem?
What is Friends of the Earth doing?
Plastic facts
12 million
tonnes of plastic ends up in the sea each year.
Only 9%
of all plastic waste has ever been recycled.
700
or so marine species have been found entangled in plastic.
1 million
plastic bottles are bought worldwide every minute.
100,000
tiny bits of plastic could end up in the ocean with each shower you take, depending on the products you use.
9 billion
fewer plastic bags used in England since the 5p charge.
Polluting land and sea
How to avoid plastic
Donate monthly
to help protect people and planet
Latest on plastic
18 Feb 2019
Charlie Gilpin and his friend Will Hearle from Lambeth Friends of the Earth local group decided to do our plastic timer challenge. They're amazed at the lengths they have to go to.
14 Feb 2019
Little progress in boosting recycling or reducing waste
08 Feb 2019
Takeaways often come in plastic food containers with disposable utensils. They're a big part of the plastic pollution in our waste system – and in our seas.