Their bulk adds to the cost of collection and disposal in landfill by local authorities. Approximately 114,000 tonnes of plastic packaging are disposed of each year by local authorities.
Plastics are a very visible part of our environmental litter on beaches, roadsides, and hedgerows.
The fact that. they are not biodegradable adds to the problem. The most effective way of reducing the amount of plastic litter in the environment is to reduce our consumption. And the most important contribution to such a campaign must come from the consumer. This Directive helped to focus attention on, and assist further progress in, this area for the future. The most common form of plastic packaging which we come across in our daily lives is the large, plastic, soft-drinks bottle.