Our planet is facing a major crisis in terms of the waste humans produce and the resource depletion it is driving. Despite the fact that we are already consuming more than double the amount resources the planet is able to replenish, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recently estimated that resource consumption is set to double by 2060. Giant ‘garbage patches’ litter the oceans and micro-plastics are now touching even the remotest parts of the world. This is clearly not sustainable.

Whether it’s in store or online, retailers bombard us with unnecessary packaging and it can be difficult to eliminate waste, but if we challenge ourselves it can be done.  We urgently need to turn the tide on avoidable single use plastics and the packaging that dominates our retail environment, challenge our disposal culture, and ensure we maximise recycling as the last option.

Only by focusing on the production of unnecessary plastic and packaging through an international price on carbon dioxide and by pursuing the ‘pollutor pays’ principle using national legislation will we be able to drastically reduce the amount of waste we produce as consumers. While national governments dither and are influenced by industry lobbyists, Hackney Council will continue to educate and support residents to reduce plastic by changing their consumer choices and waste behaviour, which will help unlock savings for investment in other essential local government services.