BBC ‘Plastics Watch’ ramps up campaign against waste

The BBC is bolstering its fight against “single use” plastic by launching a major initiative aimed at helping British consumers to reduce plastic pollution.
The new ‘Plastics Watch’ campaign will incorporate a website, TV programmes, social media and educational live streaming into classrooms to educate and inform the public as to the environmental impacts of plastic waste.
The website will include guidance on recycling and ideas for re-use, while TV programmes will focus on science and wildlife, as well as campaign-based documentaries.
The Plastic Watch campaign ties in with the BBC’s own ambitions for use of plastics, after it announced earlier this year that it would eliminate the use of all “single-use” items by 2020.
The corporation has been at the forefront of the fight against the so-called “Plastic Tide” following the airing of the final episode of Blue Planet II, which saw 62% of surveyed UK audiences say they wanted to make changes in their daily lives to reduce pollution of our oceans.
Data specialist Blueberry Wave last week announced it was doing its bit to tackle direct mail’s contribution to plastic waste by signing a sponsorship deal with Kite Britain, a charitable adventure designed to raise funds for young people and marine conservation around the British coastline.
The move follows fears first raised by Decision Marketing that the DM industry was not doing enough to tackle the use of plastics in direct mail campaigns, from polywrapping and plastic postcards to laminated mailshots and coated papers.
The DMA even admitted it was too busy helping companies comply with new data legislation to act. Bosses conceded that the issue is not even on its agenda.
Commenting on the BBC initiative, Sir David Attenborough, presenter of Blue Planet II, said:“We hoped that Blue Planet II would open people’s eyes to the damage that we are doing to our oceans and the creatures that live in them. I’ve been absolutely astonished at the result that that programme has had.”