How SUPs Affect Our Environment

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What are SUPs?

Single-use plastics (SUPs) are products that are used once, or for a short period of time, before being thrown away. Examples of SUPs include plastic cutlery, balloons, beverage containers and cigarettes. Currently, 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced, and of that 40% are single-use, which makes SUPs one of the biggest offenders of plastic pollution.


Why are SUPs damaging to our environment?

Let's take the example of a plastic water bottle. Globally, one million water bottles are used every minute, but only 9% of them are recycled. The remaining 91% will go to landfill, where they will take around 400 years to degrade. This is why SUP items are particularly bad, as they may only be used for a matter of seconds, but they won't break down for centuries.

This problem is amplified by our increasing use of SUPs, as we are producing 20 times more plastic than we did 50 years ago, and this could double again in the next 20 years.

SUPs are typically quite lightweight, and thus can easily be carried by the wind to the coast or find their way into the river network before reaching the sea. As much as 80% of the plastic found in oceans originally came from litter in rivers, with the top ten plastic items most commonly found polluting our rivers all being SUPs. Animals often mistake plastic as food and ingest either normal pieces of plastic or microplastics, which can be incredibly damaging to their health. This is because they are not able to eat as much food as their stomachs are full of plastic, thus they get less energy from their diet and find it harder to survive. Animals can also become injured by becoming entangled in plastic, with the types of plastic they usually become tangled in being everyday items such as bags, balloons and food wrappers. Once entangled, these animals are less capable of finding food and become easy victims for predators.

By taking steps to cut down on our SUP use, we will play a key part in reducing environmental pollution.


How changes can we make to our day-to day lives to help?

Small changes can make a big difference. By looking at your every day habits, you can see where you would typically use SUP products, and learn to reach for a reusable alternative instead. Examples of what you can do are:

  • If you enjoy visiting your local coffee shop each morning for your morning brew, try to take a reusable coffee cup with you to prevent you from using a disposable cup. In some shops, you're even given money off when you bring in these eco alternatives!
  • Try to see if the SUPs you use can be recycled. Check out our in-store recycling map for shops that recycle commonly used SUPs within the borough.
  • Instead of buying lunch when you're out and about, use up your leftovers or make your own lunch at home and take it with you in a reusable tub.


For more plastic-free related content such as tips to reduce plastic use and an interview with the zero waste shops in the borough, please check out the Circular Economy section on the Environment and Sustainability Hub. There is no time like the present to get involved, and see what small changes you can do to make a big impact! Send us in photos of what changes you'll be making to sustainability@RBWM.gov.uk

What are SUPs?

Single-use plastics (SUPs) are products that are used once, or for a short period of time, before being thrown away. Examples of SUPs include plastic cutlery, balloons, beverage containers and cigarettes. Currently, 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced, and of that 40% are single-use, which makes SUPs one of the biggest offenders of plastic pollution.


Why are SUPs damaging to our environment?

Let's take the example of a plastic water bottle. Globally, one million water bottles are used every minute, but only 9% of them are recycled. The remaining 91% will go to landfill, where they will take around 400 years to degrade. This is why SUP items are particularly bad, as they may only be used for a matter of seconds, but they won't break down for centuries.

This problem is amplified by our increasing use of SUPs, as we are producing 20 times more plastic than we did 50 years ago, and this could double again in the next 20 years.

SUPs are typically quite lightweight, and thus can easily be carried by the wind to the coast or find their way into the river network before reaching the sea. As much as 80% of the plastic found in oceans originally came from litter in rivers, with the top ten plastic items most commonly found polluting our rivers all being SUPs. Animals often mistake plastic as food and ingest either normal pieces of plastic or microplastics, which can be incredibly damaging to their health. This is because they are not able to eat as much food as their stomachs are full of plastic, thus they get less energy from their diet and find it harder to survive. Animals can also become injured by becoming entangled in plastic, with the types of plastic they usually become tangled in being everyday items such as bags, balloons and food wrappers. Once entangled, these animals are less capable of finding food and become easy victims for predators.

By taking steps to cut down on our SUP use, we will play a key part in reducing environmental pollution.


How changes can we make to our day-to day lives to help?

Small changes can make a big difference. By looking at your every day habits, you can see where you would typically use SUP products, and learn to reach for a reusable alternative instead. Examples of what you can do are:

  • If you enjoy visiting your local coffee shop each morning for your morning brew, try to take a reusable coffee cup with you to prevent you from using a disposable cup. In some shops, you're even given money off when you bring in these eco alternatives!
  • Try to see if the SUPs you use can be recycled. Check out our in-store recycling map for shops that recycle commonly used SUPs within the borough.
  • Instead of buying lunch when you're out and about, use up your leftovers or make your own lunch at home and take it with you in a reusable tub.


For more plastic-free related content such as tips to reduce plastic use and an interview with the zero waste shops in the borough, please check out the Circular Economy section on the Environment and Sustainability Hub. There is no time like the present to get involved, and see what small changes you can do to make a big impact! Send us in photos of what changes you'll be making to sustainability@RBWM.gov.uk

Page last updated: 10 Oct 2022, 03:27 PM