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Local authorities have some great campaigns in place to reduce littering and improve recycling rates. These include measures particular to seaside areas, where beach litter is a threat to marine wildlife, tourism and the fishing industry.
To mark this year’s Recycle Week and our 35th anniversary, the Cromwell Polythene team, which supplies a range of polythene products to aid recycling, undertook a comparison beach litter research. The team joined Great British Beach Clean organisers, the Marine Conservation Society and volunteers from the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Living Seas Centre, to collect and record litter found on Filey beach on the North Yorkshire coast.
Levels of litter were recorded across the same predefined items as a similar survey Cromwell undertook last year, across eleven types: plastic/polystyrene, rubber, cloth, paper and cardboard, wood (machined), metal, glass, pottery/ceramics, sanitary waste, medical waste and faeces.
The team were very encouraged to find that levels of waste materials have decreased across the same stretch of beach compared to results from the previous year’s analysis. What is also clear is that it’s not just plastic packaging washing up on the beaches, and the team were pleased this included a decrease in plastic waste.
For more on the results of the research, visit Cromwell Polythene’s website.
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.