Summary

The website content is an open letter urging food retailers to take immediate action to reduce plastic waste pollution, particularly in oceans and waterways.

Abstract

The author of the open letter, Karen Madej, addresses food retailers directly, imploring them to collaborate on mitigating the estimated 1.7 million tonnes of plastic waste that enters the ocean annually. The letter highlights the environmental impact of single-use plastics, such as food wrappings and containers, which often end up as litter due to inadequate waste management systems and design flaws in litter bins. The author points out that despite some efforts by the government, such as reducing plastic bag usage, the core issue of microplastics in the environment persists. The letter criticizes the excuses given by retailers and manufacturers for not transitioning to biodegradable materials, emphasizing the urgency of the situation and the need for proactive measures. The author suggests an interim solution of creating a paid group of environmental protectors to manage litter and proposes starting with local efforts in Kirkcaldy. The call to action is clear: food retailers must prioritize the health of the planet and people over profit, and they should demonstrate this commitment by supporting initiatives that prevent litter from reaching waterways.

Opinions

The author believes that current litter bins are inadequate and contribute to plastic waste pollution.
There is a design fault in litter bins that makes it easy for wind and animals like gulls to spread litter.
The author is critical of the government's and retailers' slow progress in addressing plastic waste, despite some positive steps like reducing plastic bag use.
The author suggests that manufacturers and retailers are hiding behind excuses like cost and lack of demand to avoid transitioning to biodegradable materials.
The author argues that the current environmental policy, which relies on local charities for cleanup, is insufficient.
There is a strong opinion that the responsibility for the plastic waste problem lies with businesses that choose cheap, non-

Dear Food Retailers,

Let’s work together to stop adding to an estimated 1.7 million tonnes of plastic to the ocean and our food every year

The reason for writing to you today is to bring to your attention the abandoned food wrappings and containers after consumers have finished with them.

I am unable to fully comprehend the means by which the plastics utilised by your establishment end up in various locations not favourable to the environment. I suspect the litter receptacles are inadequate for the task of holding the plastics and plastic coated receptacles as well as not protecting them from scavengers such as gulls.

To be generous to our fellow humans, we will allow them the benefit of the doubt. They might not actually be careless with their plastic wrappings and receptacles. It’s a design fault of the litter bins making it easy for the wind and the hungry gulls to make use of the pavements, car parks, and surrounding grass verges to collect their (the humans) carefully disposed of rubbish.

Momentarily, of course, because that rubbish will be blown and rolled, flattened and kicked, and when there is heavy rainfall the result of your sale of processed foods and drinks to non-environmentally friendly humans, will cause all the litter to be washed down the hill into the Firth of Forth and out to sea. No doubt to join the microplastic soup at some point in the future.

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A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesperson praises its global leadership with the removal of 15 million plastic carrier bags from circulation and now charging 5p. The unnamed spokesperson is also pretty proud of funding its groundbreaking research into how microplastics get into waterways. I think we can probably guess the answer to that one.

Working with the water industry to find new methods of detecting, measuring and then removing microplastics from wastewater seems to be something that could be avoided in the future if the plastics weren’t used in the first place.

Until manufacturers stop using polyethene (single-use plastics) and polypropylene for food wrapping, milk and water bottles, and carrier bags the problem will remain. Until supermarkets demand their product suppliers use materials that biodegrade within months of disposal the problem will remain. Until then, we have an urgent requirement to stop the waterfall of plastic trash flowing into rivers and oceans.

Your arguments might be along the lines of we’ll be ready in a few years. The government isn’t forcing us to do this. It’s too expensive. It’s not our problem, it’s the gulls and the wind. We pay for the litter to be collected in the Retail Park why should we bother with areas outside of it? We’re just here to make a profit while we can, who gives a damn about the future?

Manufacturers, please stop hiding behind complaints of it’s too expensive or we will be ready by 2025 to move over to biodegradable wrappings and containers. There’s no demand for it, and why should we take responsibility?

The Government must take a stand against the businesses which, through their cheap material choices, harm the environment with plastics that break down into microplastics which are consumed by aquatic lifeforms. It may take years for these tiny particles to become a soup in our oceans but microplastics are in our food chain now. It may also take years for the government to take a stand against the businesses that pay taxes.

Also, fixed penalty notices for littering from the local authority is a possibility in Scotland. Unfortunately, it is NOT enforced.

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Local councils have adopted an environmental policy of cleaning the streets when needed. From what I witness, on a daily basis, this approach does NOT work.

We know that present mentality is to save money, cut costs, let the health of the people suffer and the planet pays the price of the lazy food they consume.

So, I ask you, Food Retailers, will you stand with me and the team we need to create to stop litter from reaching our waterways? Show your customers you really do care about them and the planet, and not just profit.

An interim solution could be to sponsor a paid group of environmental protectors, enforcers even. We could start with me. I am passionate about litter and making sure it is prevented from reaching the sea. I walk all around Kirkcaldy and I pick up what I can. You and I know that is not enough. The UK’s Environmental policy is for local charities to do the work. This is not good enough.

I am not a business nor an employer, nor do I wish to be one. I want to stop plastic reaching the beach and the ocean, don’t you?

Dear Food Retailers, will you join me to create a paid group of litter gatherers, provide us with the tools and environmentally friendly materials to keep our town, and in turn our waterways, clean?

Yours sincerely,

Karen Madej

Kirkcaldy