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Single-use plastic is embedded in almost every part of life, yet when it becomes waste its impacts are not evenly distributed.

Why is plastic waste an environmental justice issue?

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Every year, 8 million tonnes of plastic enters the ocean and 80% of that is single-use.ÌýAccording to the , that’s like emptying the contents of one waste truck into the ocean every minute. This is a huge environmental issue, and it’s a justice issue too.

The recognises that plastic pollution disproportionately impacts marginalised communities and those living in proximity to plastic production and waste sites.

Importantly, when we ‘dispose’ of an item, it doesn’t just cease to exist. Our act of ‘disposing’ is really one of movement and transformation.

Understanding how waste is a dynamic element of global systems of production and consumption is crucial for moving towards environmental justice.

Help us capture plastic reduction actions

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At the beginning of July, we launched a form to capture all the plastic reduction actions that are happening on campus. This will enable us to track our progress towards our goal of becoming single-use plastic free by 2024, and will guide institutional level actions in areas that can have the highest impact.

We’re also encouraging as many people as possible to take part in , thoughÌýwe acknowledge that overemphasisingÌýindividual actions can detractÌýfrom the systemic and institutional shiftsÌýrequired.ÌýPlastic Free JulyÌýis about making small changes, itÌýis not about shiftingÌýresponsibilityÌýaway fromÌýinstitutions. Bringing togetherÌýall our actions we can create aÌýculture at UCL of choosing to refuse plastic.

This kind of collective action ensures thatÌýplastic waste is no longerÌýforgottenÌýaboutÌýthe momentÌýit isÌýdiscarded and helps us make meaningful change.

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