A survey from Keep Britain Tidy and water filter supplier BRITA has found that despite the media attention and public consternation about plastic in the wake of Blue Planet II, only a 36 per cent of people carry a refillable container.

Further, 17 per cent of the public answering the Yougov plastic attitudes survey said they were committed to finding an alternative to plastic containers.

increased awareness appears to have done little to influence behaviour, with 44 per cent admitting to feeling bad for the environment when buying bottled water.

36 per cent of those aged 25 to 34 felt guilty buying bottled water. A fifth buy bottled water for use at home. A third of young adults avoid refillable bottles because they claim they are too heavy or inconvenient to carry around.

Keep Britain Tidy Chief Executive Allison Ogden-Newton said: “There has been encouraging progress in the past year to address litter levels from single-use plastic, but this report demonstrates that we are not there yet. Too many people still find it challenging to fill up on the go, while many more are still embarrassed to ask for tap, worried about the safety of water fountains, or just unwilling to go the extra mile and carry around a reusable bottle. We’ve simply got to get to a situation where topping up in glass or refillable bottle is the norm.”

Plastic bottle use