The BBC’s new series ‘The War on Plastic” aired last night highlighting the UK’s total shame with regards to plastic re-cycling. While as UK citizens we supposedly do our bit by separating out our plastic for it to be collected and taken away, this hard hitting programme highlighted that far from re-cycling, our plastic waste is shipped to Malaysia where it is often dumped illegally. The most striking image was from a Malaysian family who lived close to an illegal dumping site where UK plastic is routinely burnt. All the family suffer from horrendous respiratory complaints.

Co-presenter Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, goes on to examine several of these illegal plastic dumping grounds finding numerous plastic bags from councils across the UK and all of the British supermarkets.

Much of this Plastic waste is from the UK

UK plastic waste being shipped across the world to pollute is a disgrace, there must be a #betterway