Thousands of shoppers across Ireland are ditching plastic at supermarkets today

Volunteers will be outside hundreds of stores promoting "Shop and Drop"

Positive response from supermarkets must lead to lasting change

Online overage includes: Irish Times. Irish Sun. Irish Examiner.

Thousands of shoppers around the country are planning to leave their unwanted plastic packaging at their local supermarket today in a "Shop and Drop" day of action against supermarket packaging organized by the Sick of Plastic campaign.

Over 400 volunteers have registered to promote the action at stores across Ireland from Carndonagh to Cobh, Westport to Wexford and Ballyfermot to Ballsbridge (Map of action here)

Meaghan Carmody, Head of Mobilization for the campaign said:

“Today's action is a simple way for shoppers to let supermarkets know they we want them to use less plastic packaging.

"The supermarkets know we are coming and most are putting out bins for people for people to put the unwanted packaging in.

"Now we need them to make lasting changes that give customers an easy way to choose less plastic in future"

Notes

1) All the information about the campaign is here: https://www.foe.ie/sickofplastic/

2) The Sick of Plastic campaign is a joint venture between Friends of the Earth and VOICE Ireland to tackle a range of plastic pollution, from drinks bottles to coffee cups, and straws to supermarket packaging.

3) A petition in support of the campaign's aims is closing in on 5,000 signatures.

4) Volunteers outside supermarkets will be handing out postcards that people can sign and hand in outlining six ways supermarkets can reduce unwanted plastic packaging.

5) Friends of the Earth wrote to the major supermarket retailers to alert them of this action and ask for their support in providing a receptacle on the day for shoppers to leave unwanted packaging after paying for their items. Supervalu, Tesco and Aldi have confirmed they will provide a place on the day for shoppers to recycle their unwanted packaging after payment.

The correspondence with the supermarkets is here: http://bit.ly/SOPceos