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Department of Engineering

Cambridge professor joins campaign to clamp down on plastic pollution

Cambridge professor joins campaign to clamp down on plastic pollution

A video-selfie campaign calling on supermarkets to introduce a plastic free aisle in their shops has won the backing of a Cambridge professor.

By 2050 it is calculated that there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish. We must learn to live without plastic and this campaign is a small step on that path.

Professor Steve Evans

Professor Steve Evans, Director of Research in Industrial Sustainability, is supporting the campaign which is being led by A Plastic Planet. The public are asked to film themselves admitting that they are a ‘plastic addict’, but stating that they are ready for change, ending with a demand that retailers introduce a plastic free aisle in their outlets.

Professor Evans said: “Plastic is arguably the material of the 20th Century, enabling new products and new ways of living. But just one unintended consequence of plastic’s amazing durability is the spread of plastic waste through the oceans – by 2050 it is calculated that there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish. We must learn to live without plastic and this campaign is a small step on that path.”

The campaign, which has also been backed by actor Dominic Cooper, hopes to gather one million videos to take to the chief executives of big supermarket chains.

If successful, it is believed the campaign could make a significant contribution to tackling an ocean pollution crisis that is so bad the weight of plastic in the sea is expected to be heavier than the weight of fish. Once there, the plastic gradually disintegrates into fragments that can cause harm to marine wildlife; choking, poisoning and bloating them to death in their thousands every year.

To get involved, visit http://aplasticplanet.com/help-us-2/

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