'Recycling isn't the answer,' he retorted, banging the table for emphasis. She asked: 'What are we going to do to make sure that people and business use less plastic?' Olivia Devaney from Northern Ireland told him she took care to drink from a reusable bottle and that her family had plastic-free toothbrushes. Mr Johnson made his gaffe during a press conference for children at Downing Street on Monday. That's what happened this week, when the Prime Minister announced, during a discussion on plastic waste, that recycling 'doesn't work'Īnd such words only add to previous mixed Government messaging that has confused and disillusioned the public. Or he may end up trashing his own policies and infuriating the British people.