British Plastics Federation releases huge range of resources at Interplas
Tuesday, 26 September 2017
The British Plastics Federation (BPF) has released a range of public- and industry-focused resources at Interplas 2017. The resources include a new website about marine litter, online FAQs, public-facing quizzes about marine litter and sustainability, informative posters intended for display at manufacturing facilities, and a new section of the BPF website informing people about the benefits of working in the plastics industry.
To provide the public with better access to information about marine litter, the BPF has launched a website — www.marinelitterthefacts.com – which provides a range of information from authoritative sources. It aims to help inform the public debate about marine litter and highlight the importance of keeping plastic in the recycling stream and out of the environment. The website includes suggested actions for government, industry, NGOs and individuals, which range from responsibly disposing of plastics to supporting international initiatives. Supplementing this activity are online FAQs, which provide accessible myth-busting information about plastic packaging, as well as online quizzes about marine litter and sustainability.
To ensure workers in the plastics industry have easy access to a source of useful information, the BPF has developed two posters intended for display in factories: one focused on marine litter and one about the positive contribution plastics make to the environment. BPF members are able to request these online for free or visitors to Interplas can collect these from the BPF stand.
The BPF has also released CareerZone, which is a new section of its public-facing PolymerZone website. The new online resource details the benefits of working in the plastics industry, highlights potential career paths, relevant training and courses, as well as case studies.
The release of these resources comes on the back of recent research from a YouGov survey, which was funded by the BPF as part of its efforts to establish a factual approach to plastics in the marine environment. When asked to guess the percentage of plastic waste in the sea that comes from Europe and the USA combined, out of over 2,000 respondents, 49% stated they believed the two regions accounted for more than half of marine litter globally. In fact, the USA and Europe combined contribute just 2%. The correct answer range (1–5%) was selected by only 1% of respondents.
The survey also asked people what they thought would encourage them to recycle more when outside of their homes. 58% favoured more recycling bins in public places, followed by 16% who favoured a deposit return scheme.
Commenting on these findings, BPF Plastics and Flexible Packaging Group Director Barry Turner states:
Part of the solution to marine litter is raising public awareness, stopping littering and making it as easy as possible for people to recycle the packaging that protects their products. Clearly, when it comes to recycling ‘on the go’, most favour better provision of recycling bins in public places, and we will continue working with industry, government bodies and wider stakeholders to understand how this can be done.
BPF Head of Public and Industrial Affairs Francisco Morcillo adds:
Although the UK’s contribution to marine litter is lower than people think, everyone must play a part in preventing plastic from ending up in our environment. The BPF will continue to support public-facing initiatives to educate and raise awareness, continue encouraging our members to sign up to Operation Clean Sweep and to get actively involved in the Plastics Industry Recycling Action Plan (PIRAP) — an initiative encompassing the entire supply chain.
View the new website and to take the online marine litter quiz
View the online sustainability quiz
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Notes:
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2048 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 11th - 12th September 2017. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
“In fact, the USA and Europe combined contribute just 2%.” — source: Jambeck et al. ‘Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean’. Science.
