LAST year, we had a rude awakening about plastics pollution. Plastics waste from Britain was dumped on our shores under the guise of trade. Containers of dirty plastics, meant mostly for landfills, were apparently imported for recycling here. China used to be the traditional destination for such wastes but had suddenly banned its import. In Britain, the plastics waste was exported because of some attractive compensation schemes. The issue came to light after pictures of piles of such wastes were splashed all over local media.
Of course, the issue of plastics pollution is not new. The public has long been told of how plastics pollute the oceans. Evidence of islands of plastics waste in the oceans have been shared. Turtles that became entangled in plastic bags and died have been widely featured. It has all built up to create hate for plastics.
