Last year was a big one for the environment, as some of the most important environmental issues were topics in headlines across the world. The United Kingdom came under fire for its failure to meet several of the European Union’s directives about recycling and waste management. Although many boroughs around the United Kingdom have and continue to recycle at high rates, the country at large is still far behind most of its European counterparts. Most embarrassing is that London, one of the most beautiful and modern cities in the world, is actually one of the worst recyclers in all of Europe and was even voted as Europe’s dirtiest city in a European poll. This has led Mayor Boris Johnson to speak out in an effort to help London increase its recycling rates and decrease its waste.
Boris Johnson has laid out some ambitious plans for the city of London, both in regards to its recycling rates and the amount of rubbish that it sends to landfills. Johnson recently announced that his goal was to get all of the plastic bags out of London by the time the 2012 Olympic Games begin. Although this is an ambitious goal Johnson thinks that if stores continue to encourage customers to use reusable bags, it is a goal that is within reach. Not only will incentives be given to shoppers who don’t use plastic bags, but stores have been encouraged to start charging for bags so that customers will not take them when they are not needed. Over thirteen billion plastic bags are given to Brits every year.
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