Our commitment and challenge here is to use fewer resources in the manufacture of plastics.

We, like everyone, want to see lighter, thinner and ever stronger products. It is all about reduced fuel consumption from lighter loads. And reduced food waste when plastic packaging is used.

The facts are that plastics reduce weight and save fuel in our everyday transport and travel. Petrol consumption has fallen as there has been an increase in the use of plastics in automotive components, for example. Lightweight plastic components in cars have risen from 3% to 11% in the past 15 years, and this has helped lead to a fall in petrol consumption by 14%.

In the same way, plastics in road and air transport save far more oil than is used in the product’s manufacture itself. More than a fifth of the Airbus 380 has carbon fibre plastic components, giving it a fuel saving of 15%.

The average shopper used more oil driving to the supermarket than is used in all the plastic packaging that protects their goods.

Plastic also save resources by reducing product damage, spoilage and waste. The average shopper used more oil driving to the supermarket than is used in all the plastic packaging that protects their goods.

And plastics actually save oil by virtue of their lightweight and durability. Plastics are made from by-products of oil refining and are the equivalent to only 4% of the crude oil and gas extracted.

A film-wrapped cucumber, for example, can stay fresh for up to two weeks rather than perish in a couple of days without

The other way in which plastics help is by reducing waste, particularly food waste. A film-wrapped cucumber, for example, can stay fresh for up to two weeks rather than perish in a couple of days without. Wastage of grapes is down by a fifth thanks to the plastic carton. In the case of new potatoes less than 1% is wasted now thanks to plastic wrap. And the shelf life of a salad is enhanced by up to ten days.

We have to face the fact that, in modern society, people no longer buy their food on a daily basis from the local shop, family members often eat separately and at different times. In the 1930’s the average meal took two and a half hours to cook; today it takes a fraction of that time. And, interestingly, food expenditure has fallen from 26% of household incomes in the 1960’s, when plastics took off, to 15% today.

It is difficult to see how we could keep our food fresh without innovations, such as boil in the bag products, plastic freezer bags, rigid containers for fragile fruit, wine boxes, dairy products with click-on lids, sandwich bags for packed lunches, vacuum-packed produce such as meat, coffee and confectionary, wet food and microwaveable pouches, tamper-proof packaging for medicines, as well as the humble plastic milk carton.

Look at the humble washing-up liquid bottle, down from 120g to 50g in 30 years. And in the last 20 years, the weight of a plastics drinks bottle has dropped typically by 30% and a plastic laundry detergent bottle is 65% lighter. The average fall in plastic packaging weight is 28%.