Plastic free – The Green Tau

Green Tau: issue 117

16th October 2025

What are the problems with plastic?

Is plastic simply a litter problem?

“Plastic is a useful everyday item but has grown to become a global problem. Every year the world produces over 460 million tonnes of plastic, 90% of which pollutes almost all areas of our planet, it can be found at the bottom of the ocean, and on our tallest mountains. This pollution can cause harm to habitats and wildlife, impact livelihoods of people around the globe, and carries growing risks to human health. At the current rate, global plastic pollution could triple by 2040 unless we act now” – a quote from WWF. (1)

Could the answer be ‘more recycling’?

Yet last week an article in the Guardian reported that “in the past two years 21 plastic recycling and processing factories across the UK have shut down due to the scale of exports, the cheap price of virgin plastic and an influx of cheap plastic from Asia, according to data gathered by industry insiders.” (2) The UK now exports 600,000 tonnes of used plastic – making it the third largest in the world. Rather than being recycled within the UK, this plastic ends up in countries with neither the infrastructure nor the legal safety constraints to ensure that it is recycled without injuring either the environment or the local populace. The plastic is typically either burnt or allowed to build up in huge waste heaps where it invariably finds its way into rivers and oceans. Much of the UK’s plastic waste is exported to Turkey where, the Guardian reported two people are crushed, ripped, or burned to death in this work every month.

A combination of legislation to end the export plastics waste and taxes to discourage the use of virgin instead of recycled plastic is clearly needed. Rather than letting them close, recycling facilities should be seems as essential parts of the UK’s infrastructure: “If we were to stop exporting plastic waste, and we were to meet our increased recycling target of a 65% recycling rate for municipal waste by 2035, we would need to build 40 new factories across the UK – 20 of them would be sorting facilities and 20 would be processing facilities turning the material back into products,” said an industry source.

Or could the answer be ‘make less plastic’?

Earlier this year, an international gathering sought to agree a global plastics treaty. Work on this treaty began back in 2022 when growing scientific evidence highlighted the risks posed to humans (and other living organisms) by the toxic chemicals that can leach out of plastic as it breaks down. The ambition was not merely to ensure higher levels of recycling, but to to curb in absolute terms the amount of plastic produced globally each year. Plastic production had risen from 2 million tonnes in 1950 to 475 tonnes in 2022. However the treaty was successfully opposed by the large oil-producing nations and members of trade associations representing plastic producers. (3)

What if plastic pollution is a health problem too?

This week there was another newspaper article this time reporting on the spread of plastic into our bodies. “Microplastics have been found almost everywhere: in blood, placentas, lungs – even the human brain. One study estimated our cerebral organs alone may contain 5g of the stuff, or roughly a teaspoon.” (4)

What are micro plastics and where do they come from?

Microplastics are fragments of plastic that is between 1 nanometer and 5 millimetres wide. They come from two main sources:-

plastics specifically manufactured as microbeads which are added to face ashes, shower bells and other personal care products – they make the liquid both smooth and sufficiently thick that it does run off like water. Think of the difference say between an antiseptic hand spray and an antiseptic hand-gel. These are known as primary microplastics.
Plastic particles that derive from the disintegration of larger plastic items – eg plastic film and wrapping, takeaway containers, synthetic clothes , care tyres, paints and plastic turf etc.. These plastic particles may be shed as drinking from plastic bottles and take away cups (more plastic is shed when heat is present such as with hot drinks or microwaved food), from wearing and washing clothes, from friction between roads and tyres etc. These are known as secondary microplastics. (5)

Both types of microplastic can pass into water systems, can be present in the air we breathe, and can pass into the food chain and so into the food we eat. Microplastics are to be found all over the world – from the hops of mountains to the depths of the oceans and everywhere in between.

Nanoplastics are even smaller – less than 1,000 nanometers in diameter, or 100 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. They are small enough to slip through the walls of the cells in our bodies and can be found in our blood, lungs, brains, bones, the placenta and breast milk. (6)

Do these pieces of plastic harmful?

We don’t yet know whether having such buts of plastic in our bodies is good for us (unlikely), neutral or harmful. Nor do we know whether there is a limit below which they are not harmful but above which they might be. It is possible that they may aggravate complaints such as asthma, dementia, cardiovascular disease, cancers etc. (7) The issue is further complicated as plastics contain toxins such as bisphenols (BPA), alkyphenols, and phthalates and dioxins etc, which are also thus passing into our bodies.

It is not just human bodies that maybe adversely affected. Micro and nanoplastics are already known to be adversely impacting the health wild life – eg damaging the gut biomes of seabirds, increasing the number of pathogens present and reducing antibiotic resistance. (8)

Should we panic?

No. We don’t yet know enough to know how dangerous, or not, micro and nanoplastics are. We don’t know whether or not our bodies have a way of eliminating such particles from our bodies. And realistically there is no way we can avoid ingesting these particles given their presence in very part of the environment.

In many instances using plastics can be lifesaving with benefits outweighing the – as yet unclear – disadvantages. For example the use of plastic syringes to give vaccines, plastic pipes to provide clean drinking water, plastic bags for collecting blood donations, waterproofing coats that keep us warm and dry.

But we could cut back on our use of plastic

We can reduce our exposure to plastic particles by reducing the amount of unnecessary plastic we have around us and by adjusting how we use those plastics. For example we might use a reusable water bottle and a reusable cup when out and about (and often cafes give discounts when you bring your own take away cup). You might use glass or metal dishes for storing food and wax wraps or foil instead of cling film. You might use wooden spoons and chopping boards rather than plastic one; metal colanders and metal washing up bowls etc. Equally you might avoid body care products with microbeads and use solid or liquid alternatives. You could try a milk delivery service and get milk in glass bottles rather than plastic cartons. And following that line of thought, you may have a local refill store that allows you to buy various food ingredients and household items without the need for lots of plastic packaging.

There are plenty of guides on line about switching to a plastic free life. eg https://friendsoftheearth.uk/plastics/living-without-plastic and some of my earlier blogs have explored this topic – https://greentau.org/tag/plastic-free/ and https://greentau.org/2022/01/27/eco-tips-zero-waste/

However we should remember that not everyone can afford the plastic alternatives – a metal drinks bottle can cost more that a plastic one. A sliced loaf in a plastic bag will be cheaper than it paper wrapped alternative.

What about changing the system?

If we are going to be fair for everyone and everything – wildlife, ecosystems, future generations, then the whole system needs to be changed.

Nations need to agree on a workable plastics treaty that will cut the amount of plastic produced. The plastics industry needs to develop alternative safe and sustainable substitutes. Governments need to implement a combination of legislation, taxation and investment to ensure that the changes needed do actually happen.

We can advocate for change by supporting groups like Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace, and we can raise awareness about the issue by talking with others – particularly if they are intrigued about the efforts we are making to reduce our use of plastic!

Counting on … day 6

8th January 2025

Plastic Free July is another mid year feature, but one which we might start working towards now – particularly when we recall that our use of oil in making plastic and the pollution we cause in disposing of it, unnecessarily sap the Earth’s resources.

Single use plastic seems so imbedded into daily life that it can seem an impossible challenge to live plastic free. Yet we know that the pollution from plastics – including microplastic particles which can now be found in every part of our bodies – is highly damaging.

Maybe starting small now could be a solution. Having coffee in in real cup, rather than as a take out, is an easier habit to adopt when the cafe is warm and outside is cold and wet, seems much more logical.

Equally do we need to rely on bottles of drinking water when the weather is cold? Can we train ourselves to have a glass of water when we stop for a drink or a meal, and then when the weather gets warmer, have a bottle we can refill for the in between times.

Winter fruit and vegetables are more robust and avoiding plastic packaging should be easier. If it becomes our mindset now, then we can embarking the habit before the summer comes.

Green Tau: issue 98

Walking the Talk

24th November 2024

A few weeks ago, whilst I and others were holding our weekly Earth Vigil outside Parliament, a passerby stopped to quiz us. In transpired that he was not interested in the wellbeing of the environment and rather wanted to justify his position by proving that we were hypocrites.

His line was that we could not be taken seriously in calling for a rescinding of the Rosebank licence whilst possessing shoes, clothes, rucksacks etc made from plastics/ ie oil. He would not listen to our response that we were constrained by what one could buy in a world that is still heavily embedded in using oil. Even as our economies transitions away from oil, it is still going to take a while before sufficient alternatives take over from plastic. As one person interjected, “When Edison was designing the lightbulb he had to rely on candle light!” (Or possibly gas).

But what really incensed me was that I do try and do everything I can to live ecologically. I wear second hand clothes, darn my socks, patch my rucksack and my trainers, shop at a refill shop, avoid buying anything in a plastic wrapper, don’t fly, eat a vegan diet that includes wonky and unwanted fruit and vegetables, source beans and pulses grown in the UK. And flour for my bread is milled in a proper windmill in Cambridgeshire!

I do do all I can to walk the talk!

And it’s not easy especially when you feel your are a minority of one. When we are away from our normal locality – and especially so when on holiday in Switzerland (we go by train) – it feels as if everyone else is saying, why are you so awkward? What difference can it make whether or not you eat a little cheese, eat a cake made with butter, an ice cream made with milk? Will eating a croissant make any difference to the world?

When I stay with family and they make a special dish just for me, I feel I awkward and think I must seem very pedantic.

Or when others are discussing their past and future holidays, a quick (and let’s agree in the present tax regime, cheap) flight to Italy/ Turkey/Spain, or a leisurely holiday exploring Japan, Korea and Malaysia, or a winter trip to sunny Oz. Am I grouch or a kill joy because I won’t fly? And this is where I do feel guilty: am I being really selfish as I know my husband would love for us to travel the world?

So why is it important to tread this lonely path?

Firstly because unless someone starts, no one will ever start. I maybe the first not to fly amongst our friends but hopefully I won’t be the last.

Secondly because the more people take these steps the easier it will be for other to follow. If I always ask for a vegan cake when I’m buying a coffee, then hopefully in a few years time, vegan cakes will be the norm on cafes. Plant based milks are pretty much standard nowadays! (But why then current trend of charging extra?)

Thirdly because the more people are seen to be travelling by train not plane, or eating humous not cheese, or carrying a keep cup rather than using a single use throw away cup, the more normal such behaviour becomes.

Fourth as such patterns of behaviour become normalised – even popular – so businesses and governments will change their thinking.

Fifthly because eventually the world could change for the better!

Yet I am not hopeful that any of this will happen fast enough to prevent the huge catastrophe that the climate crisis is forming. And that makes it a very hard path to tread. I am making life awkward for myself and my husband and my friends and family with only a very small chance that it will make life better for them. But equally I know that not trying would be even more hurtful.

And finally, yes I do it because it makes me feel just a little bit better; that I am at least doing something rather than nothing.

Counting on… day 206

4th November 2024

In addition to the LOAF principles, we can also think about the packaging our food comes in.

Plastic can sometimes be recycled but not only does recycling consumes energy, waste such as plastic cannot be recycled endlessly – the recycled plastic becomes increasingly degraded – but more worrying is the amount of plastic that escapes into the environment. Micro plastic particles can now be found everywhere across the globe – on mountain peaks, ocean troughs, in the stomachs of fish and even in our own blood.

It is worth seeking out plastic-free purchases whether you’re buying fruit and vegetables, meats, bread and pastries etc, whether in shops or cafes.

Further reading – https://greentau.org/2024/05/07/counting-on-day-101-2/

Counting on … day 102

8th May 2024

Waste free and plastic free are closely linked as waste free includes plastic free but goes a step further exploring how we can reduce the unnecessary use – ie waste – of resources. Why do sandwiches/ cakes etc come in both a paper bag and a paper carrier bag? Why do toothpaste tubes comes in a cardboard box? Why do we reuse glass milk bottles but not glass wine bottles?

Looking for waste free options is another way in which we go about shopping and we can see the outcome in the frequency with which we put out our dustbin – maybe once or twice a year.

Counting on … day 101

7th May 2024

Plastic is such an invasive pollutant. A few years ago we kept a tally over a week of how much plastic was coming into the house and then worked out whether there were ways of avoiding such plastic in the future. Sometimes the solution was simple – not putting fruit in a plastic bag at the supermarket. Sometimes it needed a little more research – finding a toilet paper that didn’t come wrapped in plastic (we now buy recycled paper toilet roll from Naked Sprout, a B Corp, which comes in a cardboard box).

More importantly the solution was a change in attitude – don’t buy it if it’s wrapped in plastic whether it’s a cake in the cafe or a pen in the stationers. And of habit – taking a keep cup or refillable water bottle when out and about.

We’re not plastic totally free – my husband enjoys sliced supermarket bread and even vegan butter and margarine come in plastic packaging. During the Big Plastic Count we totalled 6 pieces of plastic.

Counting on …. Day 1.117

5th July 2023

All plastic producers rely on investment from banks and pension funds etc to continue to expand their operations. The Just Money Movement’s director, Sarah Edwards, says, “We are called to care for God’s creation but the way we produce and dispose of plastics is fuelling the climate crisis, polluting oceans, and endangering people’s health. Many individuals and church communities are taking steps to cut down on single-use plastics, but major High Street banks continue to invest in the crisis we’re trying so hard to tackle. HSBC is the largest bank in the UK and has a responsibility to take urgent action to address the crisis” the Just Money Movement is running a campaign HSBC to:

set targets for reducing financed emissions in the plastics industry as part of HSBC’s climate strategy.
withdraw from financing the expansion of single-use plastic production.
engage with companies that use plastics intensively (notably, plastic packaging) to reduce their consumption of plastics at source in absolute terms and invest in business models to achieve this.
urgently scale up finance to companies providing solutions to address overconsumption of plastics at source, such as reuse systems.

You can support the campaign by signing their open letter – https://justmoney.org.uk/speak-out/dont-bank-on-plastics/

Green Tau: issue 72

1st July 2023

Plastic free July?

July two years ago I wrote in the Green Tau about plastic being the pollutant we live with. In many ways not much has changed since then except that we are, globally, producing even more plastic every year and with global recycling rates at around 10%, the total volume of plastic in or not in use, is growing even faster. There is more than one tonne of plastic in the world for every person alive today – https://ourworldindata.org/faq-on-plastics

Plastic Free July seems to be even more important than ever! The problem of plastic could be viewed from three perspectives.

Firstly can we reuse the plastic we already have rather than creating more virgin plastic?

Secondly can we agree and enforce at governmental level an effective global treaty that will end plastic production in a way that is fair to all and not just the richest/ most powerful bodies?

Thirdly can we as individuals re-adapt to a plastic free lifestyle – albeit with all the advantages that bother new technologies have to offer?

Reusing plastic depends on several factors.

All used plastic is collected for reuse (ensuring it doesn’t get blown away into the oceans, side tracked into landfill, or diverted into an incinerator)
That it is properly sorted according to the different types of plastic
That it is sufficiently clean/ uncontaminated (this is where consumers need to act responsibly)
That where possible plastic items are reused rather than being recycled as the latter is more energy intensive. Bottles made of a sufficiently durable plastic can, for example, be refilled and reused.
That there are means of recycling each sort of plastic, ideally within a closed loop – eg that PET bottles are remade into new rPET bottles (the r signifying that the plastic has been recycled). This may need the input of grants for developing nations to ensure that they can afford the initial cost of recycling plants – in the long term this will benefit all global citizens.
Where closed loop recycling is not possible (even rPET will wear out), there needs to be processes that can recycle the plastic into a lower grade but still usable form: already playground equipment, outdoor seating, and shop fitting panels can be made from such material.
That all these processes happen close to where the original plastic ceases to be in use. At present plastics collected for recycling may travel half way across the world to be recycled.
That the cost of recycled plastic should be cheaper than the cost of virgin plastic – this may initially require the input of taxation on items of virgin plastic and at the same time support for poorer households to enable them to cope with the extra cost of some essentials.
That product designers and manufacturers consider reuse and recycling from the outset.
Can plastics previously consigned to landfill sites be ‘mined’ and reused?

Plastic alternatives – The long term goal would be to phase out the use of plastics, replacing plastic with non polluting alternatives such as paper and card, aluminium, glass, wood, cork plus the growing range of new materials as they are developed – eg straws made from seaweed, polystyrene substitutes made for. Mycelium, food packaging made from cornstarch, and various plant based plastic substitutes. All these new products need investment at the design stages and the. investment for scaling up to commercial production levels. It also takes time, and in the course of which the ‘mound’ of fossil based plastics will continue to grow. Removing non reusable plastic from the world is going to be a slow process, but the quicker we start addressing the issue the better.

A global plastic treaty is not now a dream but a work in progress. In June of this year, 180 UN member states agreed to start international negotiations on drawing up a global plastics treaty that could set rules for production, use and disposal of plastics. The talks were also attended by stakeholders including civil society groups, waste pickers and a coalition of scientists. Stakeholders used the talks to call for plans to manage microplastic pollution, regulate the thousands of hazardous chemicals baked into plastics, create a financial mechanism to support the transition, and protect the rights of people disproportionately exposed to plastic chemicals and waste. Many countries are calling for action to go beyond cutting plastic pollution and to curb production as well. At the same time oil- and plastic-producing nations, including Saudi Arabia and Brazil, together with fossil fuel and petrochemical lobbyists, were set on watering down the treaty.

Nevertheless this is a landmark step and will be followed by further meetings to finalise details including which elements will be legally binding and how the deal will be financed. The aim is that the treaty will come into effect in 2025. (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/06/first-steps-agreed-on-plastics-treaty-after-breakthrough-at-paris-talks?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other)

UK government policies – Can the aims of the plastic treaty be supported by laws and directives from the UK government? Can the government do more to persuade businesses to be less reliant on plastic, to increase first the reuse and second the recycling of plastic, and to encourage we as consumers to adjust our habits too?

The plastic bag tax introduced in ….. has seen a substantial reduction in the number of plastic bags used annually. In the last few years it has become the social norm to take a shopping bag when we go out shopping – more so for daily necessities: new shoes and clothes are still usually carried away in the store’s own (paper) bag.

Since 2020 single-use plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds have been banned, and this approach is being extended this autumn to include the ban of single-use plastic cups, plates and cutlery used takeaway outlets.

In France the use of plastic bags to pre-pack fruit and vegetables is being limited. As of the beginning of 2022 the sale of 30 types of fruit and vegetable in plastic bags has been banned, and this will extend to all fruit and vegetables by 2026. A similar scheme is being introduced in Spain. Here in the UK such schemes where they exist are voluntary, with Morrisons leading the way. This is an area where letters of complaint by customers might effect change, and can be followed up by boycotting pre packed produce.

A deposit return scheme is being formulated by the government and is due to be in place by 2024, with a likely deposit of 20p per item for all single use drinks containers including plastic bottles and metal cans. Whether this will also lead to the reuse of suitable bottles I am not sure. Such schemes do exist in Germany (https://www.dw.com/en/how-does-germanys-bottle-deposit-scheme-work/a-50923039) and Switzerland, and even here in the UK some individual suppliers operate such schemes or offer a refill service -eg Milk and More, the Source Refill Store etc.

Various pieces of legislation encourage companies to reduce the amount of packing – especially plastic packaging – that they use. Such legislation comes within the group termed Producer Responsibility Regulations. Certainly many Easter eggs now proudly proclaim that they are free of plastic packaging, and paper wrappers for Mars Bars are currently being trialed.

Household recycling provision varies from authority to authority with no consistency as to what is recycled in which bin and how often. The government is in the process of developing a policy to standardise recycling policies for all local authorities but this may have a knock-on effect as some local authorities will need to invest in new collection bins and vehicles. Nevertheless it has to be a good idea that will encourage a higher recycling rate.

Promoting a plastic free lifestyle is what Plastic Free July is all about. It is certainly easier for consumers of governments require businesses to provide plastic free packaging, but even if that is not the case, it is possible to make choices that reduces our consumption of plastic – whether that is not buying a pre-packed sandwich, using a keep cup rather than buying coffee in a takeaway cup, buying loose fruit and vegetables, or buying solid bar soap and shampoo. There are plenty of websites offering advice – you might visit Plastic Free July’s own web site – https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/ or visit the Friends of the Earth web site – https://friendsoftheearth.uk/plastics/living-without-plasticb – but don’t be bamboozled by websites that just want to sell you plastic free products.

As much as anything what is key is a change in mindset – automatically looking for the plastic free product. Once you are used to avoiding plastic packaging, look to use plastic-free goods too – the wooden toilet brush, the metal washing up bowl, a rubber and sisal yoga mat. It is not necessary to throw away plastic things; rather use and reuse them to maximise the usefulness of the plastic and then – finally – recycle it and replace it with a plastic free alternative.

Fo further articles on this blog about plastic see -https://greentau.org/tag/plastic/page/2/

Counting on …. Day 1.154

29th June 2023

An interesting article on the Joy in Enough website – https://joyinenough.org/2023/06/27/are-we-normalising-plastic-pollution-in-the-name-of-childrens-creativity/ – pointed out that many craft materials used by children are plastic based. This is a pity given how many plastic-free materials can be used – wool (as opposed to polyester) felt, champagne corks, paper, card and tissue paper, clay, buttons, balsa wood, aluminium foil, pipe cleaners (the smoker’s ones are made of cotton not polyester), beer bottle tops, soap (good for carving), pine cones, confers and acorns, twigs, paper straws and paper plates …..

Counting on … day 1.152

27th June 2023

Plastic packaging is seen as a plus because it enables food to be harvested and shipped over a longer distance/ timespan than might otherwise be possible. This enables perishable crops such as strawberries, lettuces, cucumbers etc to be grown in southern Spain and sold in supermarkets throughout the UK. But this can further distance us as consumers from the people who grow our food. Currently there is two concerns about farming practices in Spain.

One is the diversion of water from the vulnerable wetland area of Donana, a World Heritage site, to irrigate strawberry crops to the detriment of the wildlife that relies on this unique habitat. (https://phys.org/news/2023-06-world-heritage-wetland-site-threatened.html )

The second is the use of migrant labour on farms in the Almeria and Huelva regions of southern Spain. These are often vulnerable people from North Africa who are effectively exploited as forced labour – https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ethicalcampaigns/agricultural-workers-rights-almeria

Avoiding plastic may have additional benefits for the world.