About Pack it in!
Pack It In is our campaign to expose the very worst examples of over-packaged products in the UK.
Take action now by viewing or uploading photos to our Flickr rogues’ gallery or find out more about the issue and what you can do about it.
* The UK produces 9.3 million tonnes of waste packaging a year – the equivalent weight of 245 jumbo jets every week.
* Packaging makes up 5% of the average shopping basket.
* Packaging represents over a quarter of the contents of an average household waste bin.
Why is it a problem?
Packaging is a major source of litter, it uses energy and resources to produce it, adds to waste collection and disposal costs, and, because much of it cannot be recycled, often ends in landfill.
It can even discourage people from recycling, as they feel the retailers just aren’t doing enough themselves to address the problem.
Is all packaging bad?
No, not at all. Packaging can provide necessary protection to goods including perishable items, keeping them fresh and preventing food waste. For example, cucumbers wrapped in 1.5 grams of plastic last for two weeks; without, they last just 3 days.
The 2003 Packaging Regulations Act prohibits manufacturers and retailers from using excess packaging. It says packaging should be limited to ‘the minimum adequate amount’ to ensure safety and hygiene.
But this has rarely been tested in law and over-packaging remains a big problem, especially for local authorities whose job it is to collect and dispose of it.
What is being done about it?
Some companies have reduced the environmental impact of packaging by moving to lighter weight products – glass bottles and steel or aluminium cans are now approximately 30% lighter than there were in 1980.
By October 2010 forty-one companies had also become signatories of the Courtauld Commitment, which aims to design out and reduce packaging waste.
But we think more can be done. And that’s where you come in...
Add your images of excessive packaging to this pool and help us expose the rogues.
http://www.wastewatch.org.uk
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Additional Information
 This is a public group.
- Accepted media types:
- Accepted content types:
- Photos / Videos
- Screenshots / Screencasts
- Illustration/Art / Animation/CGI
- Accepted safety levels:
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