The Big Plastic Count – The UK’s Biggest People-Powered Plastic Investigation


 The Big Plastic Count – The UK’s Biggest People-Powered Plastic Investigation

Every crisp packet.
Every yoghurt pot.
Every bit of cling film.

What if we actually counted how much plastic we throw away in a week?

That’s exactly what The Big Plastic Count is asking households across the UK to do.

It’s the UK’s largest people-powered investigation into plastic waste — and it’s coming soon.

🔍 What Is The Big Plastic Count?

The Big Plastic Count is a nationwide citizen-science project where households:

  • Collect and record all plastic waste for one week

  • Categorise it (soft plastics, hard plastics, food packaging, etc.)

  • Submit their data

  • Help build a national picture of where plastic is really coming from

Instead of guessing, we get real household evidence.

And that evidence matters.

📊 Why This Is Important

We’re often told:

  • “Just recycle it.”

  • “It’s being taken care of.”

  • “We’re making progress.”

But how much plastic are we actually producing at home?

From personal experience in our own eco-home (26 solar panels, battery storage, composting, reuse whenever possible), even when you’re trying to live sustainably, plastic still creeps in — mostly through food packaging.

The uncomfortable truth?
Much of it isn’t easily recyclable.

The Big Plastic Count turns frustration into data — and data into pressure for change.

🏠 Why It Matters for UK Households

The results from previous counts showed:

  • The majority of plastic waste comes from supermarkets

  • A large proportion is soft plastic (hard to recycle)

  • Many households are shocked by how much they produce

For families trying to:

  • Cut waste

  • Reduce environmental impact

  • Save money

  • Make informed shopping decisions

… this is powerful information.

💡 What You’ll Probably Discover

If you take part, expect to notice:

  1. 🛒 How much plastic wraps fresh food

  2. 📦 Excess packaging on everyday essentials

  3. 🧃 Single-use items you didn’t even think about

  4. ♻️ How limited recycling options really are

It changes how you shop.

It changes what you buy.

It even changes where you buy it.

🌍 Bigger Than Just Counting

This isn’t about guilt.

It’s about evidence.

When thousands of households submit real numbers, policymakers and retailers can’t ignore it.

Change doesn’t happen because we “feel annoyed”.
It happens because the data is undeniable.

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