Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues, as rapidly increasing production of disposable plastic products overwhelms the world’s ability to deal with them.

The solution to preventing plastic waste from entering the natural environment, many scientists and conservationists say, could be accomplished with improved waste management systems and recycling.

There is currently huge variation between different councils in England, on what can be recycled at the kerbside, with some councils collecting many plastics (empty carrier bags, cleaning product and beauty product bottles, drinks bottles (and tops), food and drink cartons (like soup or juice cartons), food trays (including black trays), ice cream tubs, large sweet tubs, margarine tubs, plastic milk cartons and bottles, yoghurt pots), textiles, food waste while others still only offer the basic paper/card, aluminium, some plastic bottles and glass.

However, a lot of our recycling is taken to Material Recovery Facilities and separated into different materials. These are then processed and sold on to companies to be made into brand new products, often abroad with a huge carbon footprint.

If these items can be successfully collected and sorted, then all councils should be able to offer the same kerbside recycling schemes and plastics should be recycled into new products in the UK, rather than being sold abroad.

I am asking the government, particularly the Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP (COP26 Minister) to push for more investment in recycling programmes and facilities based in the UK and for all councils to offer the same comprehensive kerbside recycling schemes.