Sign our Petition to introduce more responsible sports gel packaging
Don't Be A Gel End
Sometimes tackling single-use pollution is very complicated - sometimes it's simple. When it comes to sports gels, we believe it’s the latter.
Energy or sports gels are a common item we find in our wild places. More common still are the ‘gel ends’ - the small tear-off tabs from gel packets that are designed to be removed quickly, sometimes with your teeth, in the middle of physical activity.
As soon as the gel end is torn off it’s no longer of any use - it’s a negligible item. We believe this is a grave error in the packet’s design. Perhaps unintentionally, a gel end has been made to be dropped as soon as it’s separated from the packet.
We want sport gel producers to add a retainer strap to their packaging, which would stop trail users from dropping or losing gel ends often found on our trails. Nothing should be designed to be left behind in our wild places.
We’re gathering signatures from trail lovers across the country to showcase the importance of this to the outdoor community.
Sign now to show your support and get updates on this petition.
Why is this important?
In the UK, we’re in the midst of moving towards a society-wide model of ‘Extended Producer Responsibility’. This is an umbrella term covering a series of changes in legislation that make those who produce single-use packaging responsible for the full lifecycle of that packet.
It means that producers of sports gels need to be doing more to stop gel ends from being dropped.
The idea of a ‘retainer strap’ on the packet simply means it will be significantly harder for the gel end to be fully torn off - similar to the tether introduced on plastic drinks bottles last year.
This is a small change that could make a big difference. Just this year alone a fifth of our surveys report finding gel ends on trails, with Science in Sport as one of the most prevalent brands we find in wild places.
A small change like a retainer strap could eradicate this item from causing harm on our trails. It’s a no-brainer.