FAQs
How are these figures new, doesn’t the government already know how much waste we generate?
The UK government publishes data about the amount of plastic waste being collected from households by weight, but there are no official figures about the number of plastic items being thrown away. With approximately 1 in every 1000 UK households counting their plastic packaging waste for one week, the results of The Big Plastic Count provide an unparalleled insight into the scale of the country’s plastic crisis.
How have you estimated the amount of plastic that the UK throws away, when only 27,123 households took the survey? How accurate is this?
A sample of 27,123 households is large enough to give us a valid and robust opportunity to identify consistencies and themes in the data, and to reasonably estimate what the figures look like if we scale them up. In one week, the average amount thrown away by participating households was 55 pieces. If every household in the UK (28 million) threw away the same amount, that would mean 1.6 billion pieces are being thrown away per week. Over a year that equates to 82 billion pieces. As a survey of this size has never been done before, this is the nearest we can get to estimating the magnitude of the plastic waste problem.
The Big Plastic Count took place during a week in March. While it avoided major public holidays, it overlapped with Ramadan, a period that can influence food consumption and packaging use for many households. This means our annual estimate of plastic packaging is likely to be conservative.
In addition, taking part in the Count may have encouraged participants to reduce their plastic use during the week, further contributing to an underestimate of typical consumption.
Because we want to make sure everyone can take part in The Big Plastic Count.
Around 1 in 5 people in the UK are disabled, and many more face barriers because of language, time, caring responsibilities, faith needs, or sensory overload. If information or spaces aren’t accessible, people are excluded – often unintentionally.
For us, accessibility isn’t an extra or a “nice to have”. It’s central to how we work.
When we design things to be accessible, we:
Reach and engage more people
Build trust with communities most affected by environmental injustice
Share our message with warmth and clarity, without talking down to anyone
Make it easier for people to take action in ways that work for them
Accessibility equals inclusion. When it works for people who face the biggest barriers, it works better for everyone.
How is The Big Plastic Count sample representative?
As a movement, we recognise that some communities have been excluded. We are committed to ensuring everyone can take part and feel represented, which is why we collected additional participant data this year.
This will help us better understand who responded, assess potential biases and limitations in the dataset, and strengthen how findings are interpreted. We expect to publish this analysis in autumn 2026.
How have you worked out what’s happening to everyone’s plastic waste?
In order to estimate the proportion of household plastic waste that is recycled, national level figures were taken from RECOUP’s latest annual UK household plastic collection survey (which uses figures from the National Packaging Waste Database), and applied to the total number of pieces of plastic counted across 19 categories during The Big Plastic Count.
The Big Plastic Count doesn’t have the information necessary to account for the recycling service that a household is receiving from its local authority, nor is it possible to make provision for the recycling habits of the participants (i.e. how much of what they could recycle do they actually place in the recycling).
Why is the recycling figure so low? The government says approximately 44% of our waste is recycled?
The government reports that around 44% of household waste is recycled. However, this figure covers all household waste streams, not just plastic, and includes materials such as paper, glass, metals and organic waste.
The Big Plastic Count focuses specifically on household plastic packaging, which is significantly harder to recycle and typically has much lower recycling rates.
In addition, government figures count exported waste as recycled. Once waste leaves the UK, there is limited transparency over what actually happens to it, meaning some material recorded as “recycled” may be burned, landfilled or mismanaged overseas.
Together, this means the headline recycling rate can give an overly optimistic picture, particularly for plastics.
Why is The Big Plastic Count only over one week?
The aim for The Big Plastic Count is to get lots and lots of people involved, counting their household plastic packaging. One week is enough time to collect useful data without taking up too much of people's time.
How do you work out my plastic profile?
Once we have a school or household’s count results, we apply national data on different types of plastic to calculate how much, on average, would be collected for recycling, what’s then likely to happen to it, and what that means for your profile.
Does the survey track my plastic?
It’s not possible for the survey to specifically track where plastic from your household is sent.
What data sets does the survey use?
Vital data about quantity and type of plastic packaging is being generated through this citizen science research project. Assumptions about how much plastic is collected and where it ends up is from RECOUP and WRAP data.
Has The Big Plastic Count happened before?
Yes, twice – in 2022 and 2024! Nearly half a million people from schools, households and communities across the country took part, counting over 11 million pieces of plastic between them.
Why is it happening again in 2026?
Our findings made it clear: recycling can’t fix the plastics crisis. That’s why The Big Plastic Count is back and this time, we’re not only measuring the scale of the problem, we’re also collecting crucial data about where this plastic packaging is coming from.
What’s planned for after 2026?
In 2025, The Big Plastic Count started a new chapter which runs through until 2028, thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund.
Over the next few years, we’ll bring new voices to the front of our work. We'll explore how plastic affects our climate and our communities. And we'll look at the whole plastic lifecycle – from how it's made to what happens when it's thrown away.
Why has The Big Plastic Count switched from “plastic footprint” to “plastic profile”?
The idea of a 'carbon footprint' was created by the oil company BP in the early 2000s, shifting attention away from big polluters and towards individual behaviour.
We don’t want the same thing to happen with plastic. By using plastic 'profile' instead of plastic 'footprint', The Big Plastic Count avoids placing the burden on individuals and keeps the focus where it needs to be: on the systems, policies, and companies that shape how plastic is produced and managed.
Led by Everyday Plastic, The Big Plastic Count is all about working together.
We’re partnering with Global Learning London, Disability Rights UK, and Keele University. These organisations bring important knowledge and experience of racial justice, disability inclusion, and research.
We've also created five Advisory Groups in Aberdeen, Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, and Tower Hamlets. These groups reflect the communities we most want to reach. Their lives, local knowledge and views will shape the future of The Big Plastic Count.
We’re also working with Plastic Clever Schools as our education partner.
Being a partner means that the organisation supports The Big Plastic Count and encourages its supporters and staff to take part.
A Fair Future
The Big Plastic Count imagines a fair future where everyone can take action on the plastics crisis, plus the wider problems it's linked to, like pollution and climate change. Visit our A Fair Future page to learn more.
Plastics crisis
The global problem caused by the overproduction, use, destruction and disposal of plastic – which harms the environment, wildlife, and human health.
Climate crisis
The global emergency caused by rising greenhouse gas emissions, leading to extreme weather, floods, droughts, and ecosystem loss, harming people and the planet.
What can the government do to fix this?
We are calling on the UK government to:
Remove plastic packaging from uncut fruit and vegetables by 2030
This would:
Immediately cut billions of pieces of unnecessary plastic
Reduce plastic packaging by 8,800 tonnes per year if apples, bananas and potatoes were sold loose
Push supermarkets to scale reuse and refill systems
Send a clear signal that removal – not recycling – is the priority
It would also allow people to buy only what they need, which would:
Cut food waste by up to 60,000 tonnes
Save consumers £136 million annually
Stop the construction of new waste incinerators immediately
As plastic production increases, incineration has expanded to deal with growing waste. The UK now faces incineration overcapacity – meaning we have more capacity to burn waste than waste available.
Despite this, new incinerators are still being proposed. This risks locking the UK into decades of waste burning, while limiting progress on waste reduction and recycling.
We are therefore calling for:
An immediate ban on new waste incineration capacity in England and Northern Ireland
The Environment Agency to revoke permits for incinerators not yet built and refuse new permits
Stop plastic from being sent abroad for other countries to deal with
16% of UK plastic waste is exported abroad, where its final fate is often unknown. Exporting plastic waste causes serious harm. It shifts the burden on to countries that often have less capacity to manage it safely – leading to pollution, health risks and environmental damage.
Exporting our waste outsources pollution instead of solving it, and allows governments and companies to avoid responsibility.
That’s why we’re calling for a comprehensive, phased reduction in UK plastic waste exports, with a clear plan to end our reliance on them. To achieve this, the UK must introduce:
Targets to reduce how much plastic is produced and used in the first place
Investment in UK reuse and refill systems and DRS
Tighter rules so producers and retailers take responsibility for the plastic they put on the market
Why hasn't the government already done this?
For too long the government, supermarkets and big brands have been pushing recycling as the solution to the plastic waste crisis. This survey has revealed the truth about what is happening to the plastic waste that we put in our bins. Shifting to the real solutions is not easy - it’s far easier to keep the status quo, where packaging is disposable. This is not the real solution and the government needs to face up to it. We need a drastic shift to fix the plastics crisis.
If we stop building and upgrading incinerators and ban exports, how will we cope with the extra waste? Does it mean sending more to landfill?
In 2021, Greenpeace UK estimated that reducing single-use plastic by 50% could allow the UK to end waste exports and significantly reduce the amount of waste going to incineration and landfill, without requiring additional recycling capacity beyond what was already planned.
The priority must therefore be to reduce waste at source. Well-designed policy can play a critical role in achieving this.
A Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers is now scheduled to be introduced across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in October 2027, although it has been scaled back to focus on plastic and metal drinks containers, excluding glass. If effectively implemented, it could capture billions of bottles and cans and help lay the foundations for future reuse systems.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging is being introduced, making producers financially responsible for the full cost of managing packaging waste. However, its effectiveness will depend on whether it sufficiently incentivises reduction and reuse, rather than simply improving recycling.
Other measures, such as removing plastic packaging from uncut fruit and vegetables, remain quick and achievable ways to cut unnecessary plastic.
Despite these policies, progress in reducing single-use plastic has been slow. Without stronger action to prioritise reduction and reuse, the UK risks remaining locked into a system reliant on incineration and waste exports.
The government has introduced a plastic tax. Does it work? Won’t it solve the problem?
The plastic packaging tax is a step in the right direction, but it does not address the scale of the problem.
By taxing packaging with less than 30% recycled plastic, it encourages the use of recycled content and can reduce demand for virgin plastic. However, there are concerns about how the tax is working in practice. In some cases, companies may rely on imported materials to meet requirements, where verification is more difficult. This creates a risk of unverified or potentially fraudulent claims about recycled content, undermining environmental outcomes and confidence in the system.
Reports of pressure on UK recycling infrastructure, including facility closures, also suggest the tax is not yet supporting a strong domestic recycling system.
To tackle the plastics crisis, more ambitious action is needed, including measures to reduce plastic production and keep materials in use for longer.
How can the Government act given current global instability?
Global uncertainty, including conflict and shifting political priorities, can create pressure on domestic policy. But without urgent, ambitious action, the plastics crisis will continue to grow.
The UK Government has already shown leadership on the international stage through its role in the ongoing Global Plastics Treaty negotiations, expected to continue into late 2026 or early 2027. That same level of ambition must now be applied domestically.
In fact, this moment presents an opportunity to align domestic action with international ambition and demonstrate credible leadership.
Isn’t this just the fault of big brands and supermarkets?
Brands and supermarkets play a major role, but the government has so far relied heavily on voluntary action. Initiatives like The UK Plastics Pact have brought industry together, but progress has been uneven, with targets delayed or missed.
Without clear regulation, voluntary measures alone are not enough. Government intervention is needed to level the playing field and drive the systemic change required to reduce plastic production.
Doesn’t this just mean that people in the UK don’t recycle enough?
Not at all, the shocking truth that just 16% of our household plastic waste is likely recycled in the UK is not the fault of individuals. Recycling is part of daily life and millions of us do our bit, but the system, our government and big brands and supermarkets are failing us. For too long they’ve pushed recycling as the main solution to the plastic waste crisis, but collection and recycling schemes are currently insufficient and totally incapable of dealing with the billions of tonnes of plastic packaging waste that UK households are throwing away. The only way we’re going to truly solve the problem is through ambitious cuts to the amount of plastic packaging produced in the first place.
So should everyone just give up on recycling then? What’s the point when our national recycling figures are so low?
Recycling still has a role to play, but it will never be the core solution.
Current collection and recycling systems are not capable of dealing with the volume of plastic being produced. While people should continue to dispose of waste responsibly within the systems available, recycling alone cannot solve the problem.
The focus must shift upstream. Reducing plastic production is essential, and responsibility lies with governments and companies to change how products are designed, packaged and sold.
Soft plastic will be collected from households from next year. Won’t this solve the problem?
Collecting soft plastics like bags and wrappers from households won’t solve the problem on its own.
Most soft plastic is very difficult to recycle in practice. Even when it is collected, it is rarely turned back into new packaging. Instead it is often burned in incinerators, downcycled into low-value products, or exported overseas.
The UK currently does not have enough domestic recycling infrastructure to deal with large volumes of soft plastic safely. Without changes to how much of it is produced in the first place, expanded collection could simply mean more plastic being burned or shipped abroad.
That’s why the most effective solution is to reduce the amount of soft plastic entering our homes in the first place. Cutting unnecessary plastic packaging, especially hard-to-recycle flexible plastics, means less waste to manage and less pollution from disposal.
Collection is important, but it should be part of a wider shift that reduces plastic production, supports reuse and refill systems, and builds safe domestic recycling capacity. For more information see our Joint Position statement.
What are the alternatives to plastic? What about biodegradable plastic?
There is no single material swap that solves the plastics crisis. All materials, whether plastic, paper, glass or metal, require energy, water and natural resources to produce. Replacing plastic with other single-use materials can still have significant environmental impacts.
The priority must be to keep materials in use for as long as possible and reduce unnecessary single-use packaging. While some single-use packaging is important for accessibility and specific needs, the vast majority is not essential.
Biodegradable and compostable plastics may have a role, but they are not a simple solution. Many do not break down in home environments, and the UK currently lacks the collection systems and infrastructure needed to manage them at scale. If they are not properly collected and treated, they can behave like conventional plastics, including in marine environments.
The focus should therefore be on reducing unnecessary packaging and ensuring that materials, whatever they are made from, are used more efficiently and kept within the system rather than becoming waste.
What can everyday people do to fix this?
As everyday people, citizens and constituents, we can use our voice to call for change and hold the government, big brands and supermarkets to account.
Contact your MP and ask them to lobby the government to remove packaging from uncut fruit and vegetables, stop the construction of new waste incinerators and ban UK plastic waste exports.
Join the Everyday Plastic mailing list and follow The Big Plastic Count and Everyday Plastic on Instagram or LinkedIn to stay up to date with plastic news, campaign updates and ways to take action
Encourage your local school to become Plastic Clever
Visit the United Kingdom Without Incineration Network for advice and guidance on joining or starting a local anti-incineration campaign
Keep an eye out for opportunities to join local events and conversations led by our Advisory Groups (AGs) in cities across the UK. Our AGs bring communities together to share lived experience, shape the campaign and lead local action.
