Christmas shoppers in Suffolk urged to cut out packaging

Communications staff from the Suffolk Waste Partnership are hitting the High Street in a bid to encourage shoppers to avoid over-packaged products.

Suffolk's waste monster, pictured here on the steps of the Corn Exchange in Ipswich, is designed to represent the alluring yet “dreadful” nature of packaging waste

By using a giant packaging monster to show the “dreadful beast” of packaging waste, and handing out “make this monster extinct” stickers, officers hope to raise awareness among shoppers about the problems of waste – which it claims costs households around 470 a year.

Suffolk, which has a 40% recycling rate, is aiming to extend this success further by putting pressure on major retailers to tackle the root of the waste problem.

Deborah Cash, waste communications manager, said: “Suffolk residents have become much better at recycling with rate now topping 40% countywide, which is amongst the highest in the country. Ironically, it is this interest that has brought the thorny issue of excess packaging into the public domain –people are asking themselves why they have to recycle all the material in the first place.”

She added: “Recent moves from major retailers are just a drop in the ocean, and these are certainly a result of consumer pressure. Shoppers can continue to apply pressure by saying no to over packaged products. With Easter the next big packaging nightmare, it will be interesting to see just how hard the retailers have been listening.”

Bags
The Suffolk Partnership is also giving out reusable cloth bags to tackle the 17 billion carriers Suffolk claims are given away every year in the UK. This will be followed up in January, when the communications team will be hitting the streets to issue on-the-spot rewards to shoppers seen using their cloth bags.

In Ipswich, there will also be a “Green Santa” who will collect unwanted or duplicate gifts for charity.

Ms Cash said: “It is especially important for people to recycle and reuse around Christmas because so much waste is generated and we don't want people to forget about the importance of waste minimisation over the festive season. We also hope that, with the New Year coming up, people will resolve to make their behaviour more sustainable.”