Bag Reuse



BAG REUSE



What are we doing?

  • Return your plastic bags to the food bank and receive an extra item.
  • Reduce plastic waste to keep the food bank clean, green and sustainable.

Why are we doing this?

  • UK produced 2.26 million tonnes of plastic waste in 2023 (this is the most up-to-date figure). The estimate for 2024 is 2.15–2.27 million tonnes 1.
  • An estimated 1.7 billion pieces of plastic packaging are thrown away in the UK per week 2.
  • Plastic is a major pollutant of rivers, farmland and the ocean 3.
    • Some figures: 11 million tonnes of plastic is dumped in the ocean every year; 100,000 marine mammals and 1 million seabirds are killed by plastic pollution every year; some estimates suggest more plastic than fish by 2025 4.
  • Plastic waste is exported to developing countries at an alarming rate, despite partial bans 5.
    • 11% of all plastic packaging is intended for export 6.
    • UK exported 600,000 tonnes in 2023, 26% to non-OECD countries 7.
    • Exports to non-OECD countries increased by 84% in 2025 8.
  • Bangladesh is a hotspot of global plastic waste exports 9.
    • Around 1.2 million tonnes exported (2017–2019) 10.
    • Includes 110 tonnes shipped in 2018 11.
  • Plastic pollution is impacting regions like Sylhet 12.
    • Sylhet City generated 19,000 tonnes of plastic waste in 2021 13.
    • The Surma River is especially polluted 14.

References

  1. UK statistics on waste
  2. Big Plastic Count
  3. Commons Research Library
  4. Surfers Against Sewage
  5. EU Waste Shipment Regulations
  6. HMRC PPT
  7. Guardian
  8. Guardian
  9. ESDO Bangladesh reports
  10. Channel i (Bangla reports)
  11. Observer BD
  12. ESDO Sylhet report
  13. Daily Ittifaq
  14. Channel i Surma River report