In the two years since Blue Planet II ignited interest in the volume of plastic being used and discarded daily, businesses have made real progress in their efforts to eliminate single-use plastics.

Since the launch of the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in October 2018, common single-use plastic items such as straws, carrier bags and black carbon plastics are being eliminated by 70% of relevant business signatories while 80% are eliminating PVC from packaging. Where pledges to increase recycled plastic in packaging have also grown five-fold, it is clear the intention to do better and protect our marine and the wider environment is there in spades.

But we are only at the start of this journey and there is a long way to go to help facilitate a wider shift in behaviour from a throw-away culture of convenience to a more sustainable mindset of reuse and reinvestment. As we continue the journey towards more sustainable and longer-term behaviour change, research commissioned by BRITA and Keep Britain Tidy has found that there is much more that businesses can do, as well as highlighting the limitations faced by small and medium-sized businesses that lack the resources of their larger competitors.

To find out more, follow the link below:

https://www.edie.net/blog/Every-business-has-a-critical-role-to-play-in-reducing-single-use-plastics/6098722

(Photo credit: edie newsroom)