Powerful ad shows Boris Johnson being swept away in sea of plastic to show how UK dumps waste on world

Greenpeace UK has released a powerful animated video on Twitter about the government’s plastic policy - and it features the prime minister being swept away in a tide of rubbish.

The video, titled Wasteminster: A Downing Street Disaster, you see a mannequin-style version of Boris Johnson and photographers with cameras flashing.

“There is no greater duty for any nation than protecting our people and planet,” said Johnson, voiced by comedian Matt Forde.

“There is no greater duty for any nation than protecting our people and planet,”Photo courtesy of Greenpeace/Twitter

Soon after that, what looked like a plastic bottle falls onto Johnson’s head.

“The UK Government is a global leader in tackling plastic pollution,” he continued as more plastic items began to fall around him.

“And we can be incredibly proud of what we’re doing,” he went on to say as the plastic kept raining down on him.

“And we can be incredibly proud of what we’re doing.”Photo courtesy of Greepeace/Twitter

The plastic waste then starts to fall more aggressively, knocking Johnson over as his speech becomes inaudible. The plastic spread out to the cameramen as well, knocking them over.

The plastic waste falling aggressively Photo courtesy of Greenpeace/Twitter

Afterward, you see a mannequin of Michael Gove staring out from a window watching the plastic come down outside.

“We have banned plastic straws, plastic stirrers, and plastic cotton buds to make sure that we turn the tide.”Photo courtesy of Greenpeace/Twitter

“We have banned plastic straws, plastic stirrers, and plastic cotton buds to make sure that we turn the tide,” voiced Jon Culshaw as Gove.

And in a dramatic escalation of events, a monsoon of plastic waste busts through Gove’s window, falling over him like he just dived into a bounce house.

Photo courtesy of Greenpeace/Twitter

“It’s time for the world to truly wake up to the damage being done to the environment,” Johnson (Forde) said as he continues to be swept away in the waste to a gate that has other mannequins watching him.

“It’s time for the world to truly wake up to the damage being done to the environment.”Photo courtesy of Greenpeace/Twitter

“Let us secure the health of our very planet for our children, grandchildren, and generations to come,” Johnson (Forde) continued.

“Let us secure the health of our very planet for our children, grandchildren, and generations to come.”Photo courtesy of Greenpeace/Twitter

The video received a positive reception from onlookers who also want to stress the importance of the government taking climate change seriously.

In subsequent tweets, Greenpeace states that plastic is a problem for both wildlife and people. Communities close to where the UK Plastic is dumped and burned are starting to develop health issues.

Greenpeace has actively called for the UK government to use the Environment Bill to ban plastic waste exports to countries such as Malaysia and Turkey.

The organization also notes that the plastic dump we see in the video is what is dumped on countries daily. It’s roughly 688,000 tons of plastic waste a year, which causes “health and wildlife emergencies around the world.”

Greenpeace created the video in collaboration with humanitarian-focused visual company Studio Birthplace and produced by Park Village.

Check out the full animated video - already viewed more than 3m times - down below.

For more information on Greenpeace’s environmental initiatives, click here.