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sick of plastic

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Sick of plastic packaging? You're not alone. 

Today, shoppers nationwide are planning to leave leave their unwanted plastic packaging at supermarket retailers as part of the Sick of Plastic campaign.

Organised by Friends of the Earth and VOICE Ireland, the campaign has received widespread public support.

The campaign’s online map shows events planned at supermarkets from Buncrana to Skibbereen and from Westport to Greystones.

They ask that people to shop as normal – and then take off the excess plastic packaging and leave it at the shop.

Supervalu, Tesco and Aldi have confirmed they will provide a place on the day for shoppers to recycle their unwanted packaging after payment.

'Supermarkets are in the privileged position to be able to influence brands and manufacturers to change their packaging to more benign materials, yet few Irish retailers have shown any intent to address the mounting seas of plastic surrounding our shores,' Head of Communications for Friends of the Earth, Dr. Cara Augustenborg said. 

'Shoppers have an opportunity to encourage supermarkets to play their part in ending to plastic pollution in Ireland, and we believe this will spur the change that is desperately needed to tackle this problem.'

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The Joint Oireachtas environment committee will begin hearings on the Waste Reduction Bill this Wednesday.

In order to make their opinions heard, activists intend to deposit plastic waste outside the Dáil to highlight how much plastic the public are left to deal with by companies and shops.

Members of the public will bring bags of plastic waste from their household bins to Kildare street to demonstrate their stance on the issue.

Campaigners from Zero Waste Ireland, VOICE, Uplift and Friends of the Earth will be on hand to present a petition to the Government, featuring over 6,000 signatures, requesting that a deposit and return scheme for plastic bottles be created, one of the provisions in the Waste Reduction Bill.

Everyday, Ireland uses more than 500,000 plastic-lined coffee cups that can't be recycled, and 2.5 million plastic bottles that don't get recycled.

Food packaging and shopping bags also contribute to the issue. 

According to Friends of the Earth, plastic waste will outweigh fish in the oceans by 2050.

For any environmentalists out there – don't worry. The activists will be removing the plastic after the demonstration.

You can follow the active via the hashtag #SickOfPlastic. 

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