Charity calls for action as figures show 300,000 tonnes of plastic packaging bought in Scotland every year.
Urgent action is needed to curb the use of single-use plastics in Scotland, a wildlife charity has said.
WWF Scotland called on manufacturers and retailers to curb their reliance on plastic as new figures revealed Scottish customers are collectively buying more than 300,000 tonnes of single-use packaging for their groceries every year.
The estimated total annual cost to households of this packaging is £600m, which is hidden within the overall price of their groceries.
Scots also pay around £40m a year to cover the costs for local authorities to collect and manage waste single-use packaging.
Urgent action is needed to curb the use of single-use plastics in Scotland, a wildlife charity has said.
WWF Scotland called on manufacturers and retailers to curb their reliance on plastic as new figures revealed Scottish customers are collectively buying more than 300,000 tonnes of single-use packaging for their groceries every year.
The estimated total annual cost to households of this packaging is £600m, which is hidden within the overall price of their groceries.
Scots also pay around £40m a year to cover the costs for local authorities to collect and manage waste single-use packaging.
Zero Waste Scotland, who conducted the research, said single-use packaging generates 650,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually, equivalent to four million car journeys from Aberdeen to London.
WWF Scotland director Lang Banks said the figures represented a “staggering waste” of money and resources.
He added: “Worse still is the devastating impact that much of this unnecessary plastic is having on wildlife and our climate.
"Scotland has led the way with its plans for a deposit return scheme for bottles and cans. We now need to see the same effort given to dealing with other avoidable single-use plastic packaging - starting with making manufacturers and retailers responsible for ensuring the easy, affordable option is also the plastic–free option."
Zero Waste Scotland is now highlighting the benefits of packaging free stores, where customers can bring their own containers to fill with items from pasta and rice to cleaning products.
Michael Lenaghan, the organisation’s environmental policy advisor, said: “It’s easy to think of packaging as part of the product we want, rather than a product in its own right. In truth, when we buy 500ml of shampoo, we’re also buying a 500ml shampoo bottle, but the cost of that bottle is not evident.
“Packaging is not free. Add it all up, and the average consumer spends a lot on single-use packaging. And all this single-use packaging doesn’t just come with a cost for consumers, it also brings a significant cost to the environment.
“To be clear, the point of this is not to say that packaging is inherently bad, but that it is inherently a product, and like any other product, consumers can make more informed decisions about whether the service provided is worth the cost, if that cost is made clear upfront.”
Referring to the success of Scotland’s carrier bag charge in persuading the public to choose more sustainable alternatives, he added: “If consumers knew what they paid for packaging, research suggests they would be more inclined to seek unpackaged products, and reusable packaging options, irrespective of their sustainability concerns.
“This in turn could encourage product manufacturers and retailers to find ways of reducing and eliminating single-use packaging, resulting in cost savings for the consumer, and environmental benefits for the planet.”
