ocean plastic

Ocean plastic sculpture unveiled in central London

Last edited 27 March 2017 at 10:16am
24 March, 2017

Fresh from opening Europe’s first underwater museum in Lanzarote, renowned marine sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor yesterday unveiled a dramatic installation focused on ocean plastic in central London.

The artwork, Plasticide, has been produced in collaboration with Greenpeace and is installed outside the National Theatre, and seeks to bring home the stark reality of plastic pollution on our oceans and marine life.

Article tagged as: Jason deCaires Taylor, National Theatre, ocean plastic, Plasticide, Sculpture

Greenpeace report reveals plastic footprint of world’s largest soft drinks companies

Last edited 15 March 2017 at 7:04am
14 March, 2017

Greenpeace UK has conducted the first ever comprehensive survey of the plastic footprints and policies of the top six global soft drinks brands: Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Suntory, Danone, Dr Pepper Snapple and Nestlé.

Despite plastic bottles forming a major source of ocean plastic pollution, the survey results reveal a woeful lack of action by the soft drinks industry to prevent their plastic bottles ending up in our oceans. 

“The results are jaw-dropping,” said Louise Edge, senior oceans campaigner at Greenpeace UK. “It’s clear that if we’re going to protect our oceans we need to end the age of throwaway plastic. These companies need to take drastic action now.”

Key findings:

Article tagged as: Bottling It, Coca-Cola, danone, Dr Pepper Snapple, nestle, ocean plastic, pepsico, plastic bottles, plastic pollution, Suntory

It’s ‘make or break time for the microbeads ban’, say campaigners

Last edited 28 February 2017 at 1:37pm
28 February, 2017

On the day the Government’s microbeads consultation closes, businesses have joined environmental campaigners in calling for a comprehensive ban on microbeads. Campaigners have warned that the current proposals would see the ban limited to microplastic ingredients of 5mm or less in ‘rinse off’ personal care and cosmetic products, while other products containing microplastics could continue to be sold.

Campaigners from the Microbeads Coalition said it was ‘make or break time for the microbeads ban’, as businesses including health and beauty brand Neal’s Yard Remedies, NCH Europe, which produces industrial cleaning products, and Anglian Water, who are leading the national campaign on unflushables, called on the Government to implement a complete ban on microplastic ingredients.

Article tagged as: microbeads, microbeads ban, microbeads coalition, ocean plastic, plastic pollution

Coca-Cola U-turn on opposition to bottle deposit schemes - Greenpeace comment

Last edited 22 February 2017 at 10:51am
22 February, 2017

Responding to news this morning that Coca-Cola has U-turned on its opposition to bottle deposit return schemes, Louise Edge, senior oceans campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said:

‘Following Greenpeace’s investigation into Coca-Cola’s lobbying against bottle deposit schemes, we welcome this change of heart. Deposit schemes, which have growing support amongst the public, politicians and industry, can play a key role in reducing the amount of plastic which ends up in our oceans and in landfill. But with up to 12 million tonnes of plastic entering the sea every year, the bigger challenge which companies need to step up to, especially leading brands like Coke, is drastically reducing their plastic footprint.

Article tagged as: Coca-Cola, Coke, deposit return schemes, ocean plastic, plastic, plastic bottles, plastic pollution

Big loopholes for tiny microbeads in government’s proposed ban

Last edited 27 March 2017 at 10:45am
8 February, 2017

YouGov polling for the microbeads coalition has shown that a large proportion of people wash make-up and skincare products down the drain. Yet while some of these product types have been shown to contain microplastic ingredients, they could fall outside of the government’s proposed microbeads ban.

Defra’s current proposal is restricted to “rinse-off” products, an ambiguous term which has caused confusion among industry and campaigners alike. But these findings suggest that products containing microplastics will continue to enter the ocean if the government excludes them from the microbeads ban.

Article tagged as: DEFRA, make-up, microbead ban, microbead coalition, microbeads, ocean plastic, polling

Government must avoid loopholes in microbeads ban

Last edited 3 January 2017 at 10:59am
20 December, 2016

Responding to reports that the Government's consultation on microbeads will be launched this week, a joint statement by the Environmental Investigation Agency, Fauna & Flora International, Greenpeace UK and the Marine Conservation Society, said:

We are very pleased to welcome the launch of this consultation, and we look forward to working with the Government to ensure that these tiny harmful plastics no longer reach our oceans.

However, it must cover all microplastics as marine life doesn’t distinguish between plastic from a face wash and plastic from a washing detergent, so the microbeads ban must cover all plastics in all household and industrial products that can go down our drains.

Article tagged as: DEFRA, microbeads, ocean plastic, plastic, plastic pollution

6 amazing plastic bans from around the world

Posted by Fiona Nicholls — 29 July 2016 at 5:19pm - Comments
All rights reserved. Credit: Greenpeace

Good news! Plastics bans across the world have been hitting the headlines lately.

From the US to India and Morocco, governing bodies are taking control of the plastic pollution problem, bringing in either complete bans on plastic, or bans on specific forms like polystyrene. 

Article tagged as: marine plastic, ocean plastic, oceans, plastic, plastic bans, Plastics, plastics pledge, plastics pollution

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