Joan Edwards, Director of Public Affairs and Living Seas at The Wildlife Trusts, said: ‘Our seas are one of our planet’s most precious resources and yet we are poisoning them with plastic pollution. United action from governments, businesses and the public to reduce, reuse and recycle, even at Christmas, is essential to end the plague of plastic.’
Dr Lyndsey Dodds, Head of marine policy at WWF said: ‘We must stop being a throwaway nation and find sustainable alternatives that don’t harm our planet. A staggering amount of plastic is set to be wasted this Christmas. If we don’t take action to turn the tide, there will be more plastic in the sea than fish by 2050.
‘The UK has joined nearly 200 countries in signing a United Nations resolution to eliminate plastic in the ocean and the country must now strive to show global leadership on the issue. It is essential that businesses take responsibility and that as individuals we all do our bit to protect the planet and stop living in a wasteful world.’
Richard Hebditch, Government Affairs Director, National Trust, said: ‘Our beautiful countryside and oceans have been blighted by waste and pollution, with terrible consequences for wildlife. But, by making changes – both great and small – we can turn the tide to give nature a prosperous future. Government and business too can play their role, so that consumers can more readily choose to avoid using single-use plastics. While enjoying ourselves this Christmas, we should all be making efforts to reuse and recycle where possible, to make it a happy time of the year for the environment too.’
Sarah Baulch, Oceans Campaigner at the Environment Investigation Agency, said: ‘These figures are shocking, but sadly not surprising. A plastic-free Christmas is the gift our ocean so desperately deserves. Our single-use society is wreaking havoc on marine life, and EIA urges retailers and governments to make a new year’s resolution to crack down on plastic packaging.’
Chris Butler-Stroud, CEO of Whale and Dolphin Conservation, said: ‘Plastic is a major problem for whales and dolphins who can mistake bags, wrappers, and packaging for prey. There is only one gift that whales and dolphins need this Christmas and that’s a change in our behaviour concerning plastic. On our Not Whale Food website, WDC is highlighting how we can all make positive choices this Christmas to ensure that we begin the New Year by committing to preventing more plastic entering our oceans.’
Dr Robert Sluka, leader of the marine conservation programme at the faith-based charity A Rocha, said: ‘This level of plastic use and waste doesn't honour the meaning of Christmas. Christmas is a time for giving, so we would urge people to give to the planet and its people by cutting back on plastic where they can and recycling where they can’t.’
Peter Morris, of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, said: ‘Waste is growing and wildlife is disappearing and we need to see the connection. Less waste, more recycling and more reuse reduces threats to wildlife. Christmas cards are about the sentiment not the size so even using smaller cuter Christmas cards and putting them in recycling helps a little towards appreciating both people and animals at this time of year. Putting your plastic in the recycling is also a great help, but we need concerted action from business and government to slash the amount of plastic and other packaging being pumped out in the first place.’
Mark Simmonds OBE, Senior Marine Scientist with Humane Society International, said: ‘Marine plastics are having a devastating impact on the ocean environment, and the welfare of marine animals, including seabirds, turtles, seals and dolphins is at serious risk. As Blue Plant II showed, even the mightiest whales are interacting with dangerous plastic items and, for them, swallowing these unnatural materials can have disastrous consequences such as internal blockages or perforation of their digestive tracts. Reducing plastic waste must become a top wildlife protection priority.’
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