Research found Brits would eat enough tubs of sweets over Christmas that, if laid down together, would stretch out to nearby 7,400 miles – more than eight lengths of the UK
Brits chomping on sweet treats over Christmas are fuelling a growing plastic waste problem – with 47 MILLION new tubs entering homes each year.
This Christmas a whopping 71 per cent of sweet-toothed adults will accumulate at least one plastic tub filled with chocolates, sweets or biscuits. Scaled nationally, this translates into more than 47million new tubs that laid end to end would stretch almost 7,400 miles – more than eight times the length of the UK.
Research commissioned by UK pub company and brewer Greene King, shows that while most people want to do the right thing after Christmas, many are unknowingly making matters worse through incorrect recycling.
READ MORE: Family-of-nine ‘let down’ after Stoke-on-Trent pub cancels Christmas Day bookingREAD MORE: JD Wetherspoon new pubs update as 12 open with next one ‘in weeks’
More than three quarters of UK adults (78 per cent) say they recycle their plastic tubs, yet most (67 per cent) place them in kerbside collections where they can’t be recycled properly – running the risk of ending up in landfill.
In reality just 11 per cent of them are recycling their tubs correctly, such as at specialist recycling points (5 per cent). But incorrect disposal isn’t the only issue, a further 61 per cent of British adults admit they keep plastic tubs for more than a year, turning good intentions into long-term clutter across the country.
In response, Greene King pubs across the UK are encouraging people to bring their clean, empty plastic tubs into their local boozer to ensure they are recycled properly via its Tub2Pub recycling scheme. Launched in 2021, Tub2Pub provides an easy, quick and accessible recycling point at the heart of local communities up and down the country.
The plastic tubs collected through the scheme are turned into new items such as picnic benches, while also helping raise vital funds for Greene King’s charity partner Macmillan Cancer Support.
Over the last few years Tub2Pub has collected 54,665kg of plastic, which is around 475,348 tubs, raising £35,247 for Macmillan.
Despite almost half of adults (49 per cent) saying they make a conscious effort to reduce waste, and one in eight (12 per cent) planning to prioritise sustainability in the year ahead, efforts drop sharply during the festive period.
Concern about waste remains widespread as nearly one in three UK adults (30 per cent) worries about the impact waste will have on their future. Almost half (48 per cent) agree there is simply too much waste in everyday life, while four in ten (39 per cent) feel they’re not given enough support to reduce waste properly, particularly over Christmas.
Vance Fairman-Smith, Greene King’s group supply chain director, said: “We know from previous years that the Tub2Pub is an easy way for people to reduce their environmental impact of festive waste.
“Our aim is to divert thousands more tubs from incineration or landfill, and we hope to see an even more positive response from communities across the UK this year. Our message is simple, don’t let plastic tubs gather dust for another year or end up in the wrong bin.
“Bring them to your local Greene King pub and we’ll do the hard work for you. Together we can reduce waste, start the new year in a more sustainable way and boost funding for Macmillan Cancer Support.
“It’s a win-win situation and all the plastic returned is given a second life.” Members of the public can take their clean and empty plastic tubs to all participating Greene King pubs nationwide between January 1st and February 15th 2026.
To find out more about Tub2Pub, or to find your nearest participating pub, visit Tub2Pub | Greene King for Good
