Plastic

British workers' lunches create masses of packaging waste

According to research by the charity Hubbub, the majority of British workers say they buy 'lunch on the go' more now than they did five years ago. This fast and convenient kind of meal is estimated to be responsible for £13.6 billion of spending each year. Something else the apparent trend is responsible for though, is mountains of packaging waste.

Based on a representative survey of part- and full-time employees in Great Britain this March, the sandwich containers, crisp packets and drink bottles (for example) bought at lunch time around the country sum to a staggering 10.7 billion items of packaging waste each year - 276 per person.

Description

This chart presents figures related to the packaging waste created by British workers' 'lunches on the go' in 2019.

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Generation of plastic packaging waste in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2012 to 2023 (in 1,000 metric tons)
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Estimated number of plastic packaging items thrown away by households in the United Kingdom in 2024
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Most common items of plastic packaging waste thrown out by households in the United Kingdom in 2022 (in 1,000s)
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Distribution of plastic packaging waste thrown out by households in the United Kingdom in 2024, by type
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Packaging waste in the supply of food to households in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2010 (in million metric tons)
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Amount of packaging waste generated in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2006 to 2017 (in million metric tons)

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