Tackling plastic pollution with SC Johnson
Globally, more than eight million tons of plastic enter our oceans each year – that's the equivalent of one dustbin lorry load every single minute.
On this page
We teamed up with SC Johnson to help over 300,000 people across the UK learn how to combat marine plastic pollution.
The problem with plastic
Globally, more than eight million tons of plastic enter our oceans each year – that's the equivalent of one dustbin lorry load every single minute.
Once plastics make it into our oceans they are carried by currents to every corner of the world, even washing up on the shores of remote uninhabited islands. This has a devastating impact on wildlife, including seabirds, whales and turtles, which can mistake plastic for food and be killed or injured after becoming entangled.
Unlike some other waste, plastic doesn't decompose – it just breaks down into ever-smaller pieces, called microplastics. These particles can then be swallowed by wildlife, including fish, and make their way into the food chain, posing a problem for humans too.
Plastic clean-ups
To help tackle the threat of plastic pollution, SC Johnson have provided generous funding to the RSPB to host 50 beach and river clean-up events at nature reserves across the UK. An impressive 1,000 people have taken part so far, helping to clear a huge amount of litter.
As well as protecting vulnerable wildlife and creating a cleaner environment for people to enjoy, these clean-up events also help to raise the participants' awareness and understanding of the problem, allowing them to take steps to reduce their plastic usage.
Empowering people
To truly solve the problem of marine plastic pollution, it's not enough to just remove the plastic that has already made its way into the environment. It's also vital to reduce the flood of plastic entering our waterways in the first place.
That's why SC Johnson provided funding for four plastic awareness workshops for the RSPB's youth forum members, educating them to make more sustainable choices and empowering them to share their knowledge with others, through both our youth magazines and their own personal networks. Articles on plastic awareness were also included in our Nature's Home magazine, which has a readership of over 1.2million people – helping to spread this important message even further.
SC Johnson: at work for a better world
SC Johnson is committed to meeting the needs of its customers while protecting the planet for generations to come.