A man in the audience for one of my speeches on plastic came up with a rather surprising fact. He was a morning walker – and over a number of years had been an avid litter picker during his daily excursions. He told us that he’d seen a dramatic decline in the number of plastic bottles discarded along his route. Now the Recycling Association – check – support his perspective. In their annual litter pick, they’ve found there’s a 16% decline in the amount of litter on beaches. And, they think this is down to the Blue Planet effect – heightened awareness about the problem of plastic pollution, perhaps in combination with the plastic bag tax. Isn’t that brilliant. A drop in the ocean – but it’s a drop in the right direction.