Why banning plastic water bottles is not the answer to tackling litter

Plastic bottles are one of the most common items of litter found on Britain’s streets – but also one of the most valuable and easily recycled materials.

High end department store Selfridges has recently announced that it will be removing all plastic water bottles from its stores as a part of a campaign to tackle the issue of plastic ocean waste. However, the move has met with disapproval from the British Plastics Federation (BPF) which has dismissed the move as “a misguided attempt to tackle marine litter”.

Director General of the BPF Philip Law commented: “The availability of water in portable, lightweight bottles promotes good health and can be critical in emergency situations. Plastic products do not litter themselves onto our streets or into our oceans, people do.”

Having overseen the design and manufacture of litter bins for over 10 years, Amberol’s MD Patience-Atkinson Gregory believes that progress is being made in recycling plastic bottles, and that the key is careful planning and good design.

“Our Olympic Dual Bin has been very successful improving recycling rates in places which have a heavy footfall such as Westminster – where the flagship Selfridges store is actually located,” she says. “Because the bin has a propeller shaped aperture (a cross between a round and paper slot), it makes it easier for people to deposit their recyclable litter in the right place. The location is also extremely important: placing bins at the right sites can make a huge difference to recycling rates.”

Philip Law supports Patience’s comments saying: “During 2014, nearly 60% of PET plastic bottles in the household waste stream were collected for recycling. We all need to ensure that recycling rates continue to grow and we urge people to recycle their plastic bottles and not discard them as litter. The only way we can truly tackle littering is not by indiscriminately banning products but through ongoing behavioural change programmes.”

To see the full range of Amberol bins click here.