Diverting aid to fund waste collection will save lives and clean the ocean, says charity

UK government should make 100-fold increase in the amount of aid spent on dealing with plastic waste, says Tearfund

The British government should divert hundreds of millions of pounds from its aid budget to help developing countries clear up their waste and reduce marine plastic pollution, a charity has said.

The development charity Tearfund is in talks with senior government figures, and hopes to persuade ministers to increase the spending on waste and rubbish collection in the developing world from a few million pounds to hundreds of millions a year.