Sick Of Plastic Campaign urges public to 'shop and drop' today

Supermarket shoppers are being urged to "shop and drop" today in an effort to reduce the amount of plastic packaging used in supermarkets.

Global plastics production has increased twentyfold since the 1960s, with the equivalent of a rubbish truck full of it dumped into the sea every minute.

The Sick Of Plastic Campaign is today asking people to shop as normal - and then take off the excess plastic packaging and leave it at the checkout.

We now have over 350 volunteer organisers to mobilse 1000's to #ShopAndDrop tomorrow from Buncrana to Cobh as part of our Day of Action on Supermarket Packaging for #EarthDay2018 - We're getting excited now!! pic.twitter.com/84Oqvvh94X

— Sick Of Plastic (@SickOfPlasticIE) April 20, 2018

A similar protest in Clonakilty convinced the local Supervalu to switch to compostable coffee cups and cutlery.

Oisin Coghlan, Director of Friends of the Earth, explained what the aim is.

"We're just asking people to shop as normal in their local supermarket, and then when they've paid at the checkout, to take off any of the unwanted plastic packaging that they don't like and give it very politely to the cashier," he said.

"This is a way of showing supermarkets that people are sick of plastic and we want them to take steps to reduce the amount of packaging they use."

- Digital desk