Plastic Fantastic

By 2050, the sea will contain more plastic than fish by weight. Social media carries plenty of images of animals struggling to survive from ingesting or becoming enmeshed in this pollutant.

Unless you fancy eating fizzy drink bottle fingers or carrier bag cakes, we need to take a stand. And before it's too late.

The average family food shop includes a surprising quantity of plastic - not all will be apparent immediately as we use things gradually, but here's a list of what you could be bringing home that comes in plastic containers:

Bread Spreads Biscuits Sweets Crisps Oils

Vegetables Fruit Frozen food Milk Carbonated drinks Juice

Shampoo Conditioner Soap Toothpaste Toilet rolls Flowers

Washing liquids Cleaning products Kitchen rolls Coffee Tea Chocolate bars

In fact, aside from loose items, the only thing not plastic wrapped in yesterday's shop was eggs. Even then, there were plastic stickers to be dealt with. Makes you think, doesn't it?

Budget is one constraint - a plastic wrapped loaf is generally cheaper than its paper-wrapped alternative. Convenience is another - a shampoo bar is arguable less easy to use than a bottle.

We can't change the world ourselves: while demand will drive supply, its the magnates of the industry that will need to say no. If paper-wrapped and reusable was the only option available, we wouldn't buy anything else. A five pence charge won't stop people buying a plastic bag. They need to be unavailable.

Recycling is one option, but doing it incorrectly or inconsiderately can render an entire recyclable load compromised.

If we united to say no to the nasty, boycott the bottles and wave goodbye to the wrapping, we could create our own pollution revolution. Who's with me?