Research from recent years has exposed the world to the harsh reality of plastic: waste packaging floating around in oceans, turtles killed by plastic bags and landfills overflowing – slowly but surely, it’s destroying the planet. Newfound laws and regulations have attempted to tackle this ever-growing issue, and every individual is encouraged to make a difference, but are we too attached to this unfortunately useful material?

The short answer – yes. Whether you’re doing your weekly shop, enjoying lunch in your canteen or just taking a quick scan of your current surroundings, you’re more than likely to spot some plastic. Despite it being first used over a century ago, plastic was mainly popularised within the war.  Shortage of supplies put huge strain on the UK during this time which led to rationing, and the use of plastic helped preserve food that we couldn’t afford to waste. This usage of plastic remains prominent today and one of the most popular uses of plastic is for food packaging.

Plastic is praised for its extremely beneficial qualities: it can protect food and products, extend shelf-life and is heat-resistant. Many argue that despite its environmental impact, the use of plastic packaging damages the planet less than food waste does and therefore it makes sense to use it. It protects food from contamination, is safe due to its shatter-resistance, has versatility and is widely recyclable, hence the argument that we couldn’t ever entirely replace plastic. However, we cannot ignore the fact that it is not only filling up landfills and swamping our seas but killing vulnerable animals and releasing greenhouse gases.

So what’s not to love? Apparently, a lot.

Despite its benefits, we’ve now established the effects of this world-changing material and attempted to make a difference. The carrier bag law of charging 5p is now in full swing and plans to double this charge are soon to be introduced, we’ve also stopped the use of plastic straws in many restaurants and cafés which both may contribute to a decline in single-use plastic.

Overall, unnecessary use of plastic seems to be decreasing but still remains a part of our daily lives. We know we must make amendments, but the damage already seems to be done and we’re yet to find an effective alternative.  Scientists continue to warn us about the devasting effects this material could cause and news stories continue to shock us into making change. So for now, just remember to bring along your bag for life next time you go shopping.