The Big Plastic Count

The Big Plastic Count 2026 results are here. 💥 And they show that far too much plastic is being produced – and it’s being burned instead of recycled. Here are some our our key findings: 💡 UK households throw away an estimated 82 billion pieces of plastic every year. 💡Over half of our plastic waste (59%) is being burned in the UK 💡Fruit and veg packaging is a particularly big problem, with an estimated 13 billion pieces of fruit and veg packaging being thrown away every year 📣 That’s why we’re calling on the government to: 1. Remove plastic packaging from uncut fruit and vegetables by 2030 2. Stop the construction of new waste incinerators immediately 3. Stop plastic from being sent abroad for other countries to deal with Explore the results in more detail and join us in taking action at: thebigplasticcount.com 🔗 #TheBigPlasticCount #EarthDay #EarthMonth

ad Tell the “boss man” to cut UK plastic! 🍎🍊🥭 Guys, we don’t need plastic fruit and veg packaging! Head over to thebigplasticcount.com to send an email to the big boss demanding they do more to tackle the plastics crisis. Shocked by these results and want to do more? For one week only, every pound you donate to support @thebigplasticcount will be doubled. Head over to their Earth Raise fundraising page, link in bio.

What’s The Big Plastic Count story? Here’s the lowdown on the UK’s biggest people powered investigation into the plastics crisis. 💪 Join the movement and sign up to join The Big Plastic Count 2026. Sign up at thebigplasticcount.com ✍️ #TheBigPlasticCount #CountYourPlastic

We’re excited to invite you to a special Everyday Plastic virtual book club event with award-winning journalist and author Beth Gardiner. 📚 Beth will be in conversation with Everyday Plastic founder Daniel Webb to discuss her new book Plastic Inc., which explores the global systems, industries, and politics behind the plastic crisis. 🔍 📅 Wednesday 18 June 🕡 6:30pm 💻 Online, Zoom This live online conversation will cover: 💡 The rise of the plastics industry (and its connection to Big Oil) 💡 Why the plastic crisis is about more than recycling 💡 The connections between plastic pollution, climate, and health 💡 What meaningful action could look like That’s not all! We’ve partnered with @bookshop_org_uk to offer an exclusive 15% discount for Everyday Plastic supporters 👉 use code LOVEBOOKSHOPS We’d love for you to join us! Register at the link in bio 🔗 #EverydayPlastic

Nothing makes us happier than getting The Big Plastic Count community together! 🥹 That’s exactly what our Birmingham Advisory Group did last weekend with a community drop-in that combined art with action. 🎨 We shared The Big Plastic Count 2026 results and helped attendees discover local plastic waste insights and share their thoughts through open discussion and creative activities. 💚 We have more community events taking place over the summer - keep your eyes peeled for details! 👀 📸 Pics by Leoni Fretwell @artleoni_ #TheBigPlasticCount

The Big Plastic Count 2026 data told us one thing loud and clear 👉 too much plastic is being produced and recycling simply can’t keep up. How can we reduce plastic waste? 👀 Stop producing so much of it in the first place. ✅ That’s why we’re calling on the UK government to remove plastic packaging from uncut fruit and veg by 2030. 🥕 It’s time to start transitioning towards a future with less plastic and this is a good place to start. Join us by writing an email to the government asking them to meet our demand at thebigplasticcount.com or the link in our bio 🔗 #TheBigPlasticCount

What do Elephants and Plastic have in common? They both feature in todays post! ✨️ We are collaborating with @thebigplasticcount to share their findings with you! Nearly 70,000 took part in counting their plastic for one week, and these are the results... UK Households throw away 82 billion pieces of plastic each year 🤯 I know that number feels impossible to fathom, but we could stop this! We all know that individual communities have power when they join together 💚 Let's look at the biggest place we could make a difference: There are 13 billion pieces of fruit and veg packaging thrown away every year Many items of fruit and veg already have their own natural protection, yet are still sold wrapped in plastic that is often thrown away almost immediately (boo!) If we can get this unnecessary plastic removed, it would make a massive difference! Plus, if we make less plastic, we burn less plastic That’s why we’re calling for the government to remove all plastic packaging from uncut fruit and veg by 2030! Check out the full results and take action at thebigplasticcount.com (link in their bio) Lots of love to you all Nature Over Natter x

We’re calling on the UK government to remove plastic packaging from uncut fruit and veg by 2030. 🥕 ...But why? Fruit and veg packaging was the most common type of plastic waste counted by you in this year’s Big Plastic Count. In fact, we estimate that the UK throws away 13 BILLION pieces of plastic from fruit and veg every year. Worst of all: Most of it is soft plastic (63%) – a material that is almost impossible to recycle at scale in the UK. Which is why most packaging from fruit and veg ends up being burned, not recycled. 🔥 Many items of fruit and vegetables already have their own natural protection, yet are still sold wrapped in plastic that is thrown away almost immediately. We want to change that. @ukgovofficial what are you waiting for? 👀 Join us by writing an email to the government asking them to remove plastic packaging from uncut fruit and veg by 2030 at thebigasticcount.com/takeaction 🔗

This year, nearly 70,000 people took part in The Big Plastic Count, counting the plastic they threw away for one week. Now the results are in... and they’re shocking. 🔥 Most of the plastic we throw away is burned right here in the UK (59%), while only 16% is recycled. 🚢 We’re still sending our plastic waste to other countries, often with even poorer recycling infrastructure than the UK. And the rest is landfilled (9%) 🛒 Tesco and Sainsbury’s alone account for nearly half (46%) of all fruit and veg packaging counted. 😲 Most of the packaging is soft plastic (57%) – a material that is almost impossible to recycle at scale in the UK, making incineration the default outcome for the vast majority of it. Recycling simply cannot keep pace with plastic production – which is on course to TRIPLE by 2060 – and therefore incineration has stealthily expanded to absorb the overflow. Fruit and veg packaging is a BIG problem. 🍌 We throw away an estimated 13 billion pieces of fruit and veg packaging every year. 😱 That’s why we’re calling on the government to: 1. Remove plastic packaging from uncut fruit and vegetables by 2030 2. Stop the construction of new waste incinerators immediately 3. Stop plastic from being sent abroad for other countries to deal with Explore the results in more detail and join us in taking action at thebigplasticcount.com 🔗 #TheBigPlasticCount

We did it! In just over 24 hours we have smashed our £20,000 Big Give Earth Raise target. 🥳 A HUGE thank you to each and every person who contributed - your generosity makes a big different to our work. 💚 The money raised will help us use the results from The Big Plastic Count to push the Government to cut plastic production, deliver genuine climate solutions, and drive change led by those most affected. 🙌 You can still donate for the the next five days. Head to the link in our bio. 🔗 @biggiveorg

Our Big Give Earth Raise match funded appeal is LIVE 🙌 And we’re already over 70% of the way to our £20,000 goal! For one week only every single donation will be matched. That’s right - every penny you donate will be doubled! 💸 So, what are we raising money for? The Big Plastic Count 2026 results show the extent of the UK’s plastics crisis. We’re trying to raise £20,000 to support our work in pushing the Government to cut plastic production, deliver genuine climate solutions, and drive change led by those most affected. Will you help us? Head to the link in our bio to double your donation today. 🔗 #BigGive #EarthRaise

Did you know that UK households are throwing away 82 billion pieces of plastic every year – and over half (59%) of that is being burnt, not recycled? 😱 The Big Plastic Count 2026 results are in and they reveal the scale of the UK’s big plastic problem: 🗑️82% of household plastic waste comes from food and drink products 🗑️An estimated 13 billion pieces of fruit and veg packaging are thrown away in the UK every year 🗑️Tesco and Sainsbury’s alone account for nearly half (46%) of the fruit and veg packaging counted This is not about better waste management or blaming individuals. The reality is, recycling simply cannot keep up with the sheer volume of plastic being produced. If we make less plastic, we burn less plastic. It’s that simple. We can’t burn our way out of this crisis. That’s why we’re asking the government to👇 - Remove plastic packaging from uncut fruit and vegetables by 2030 - Stop the construction of new waste incinerators immediately - End plastic waste being sent abroad for other countries to deal with Dive into the results and take action at thebigplasticcount.com. #TheBigPlasticCount