HRH The Prince of Wales has written for The Sun, highlighting some of the important Sun campaigns as well as the work of the readers, as everyday changes that normal people can make to help save the earth.

“It gives me great pleasure to launch the Sun’s Green Team Week. I can only hope it inspires a great deal of positive action.

"Certainly the “Show Some Bottle” campaign highlights the need to tackle the proliferation of plastic, 32% of which ends up being dumped in the natural world, killing marine life. But there are solutions at hand.

"For example, the sophisticated reverse vending machines now installed in German supermarkets. They scan and weigh plastic bottles returned by customers who then get a voucher redeemable at the checkout and have massively reduced the amount of litter in the streets and increased how much plastic is recycled. Similarly, some retailers here selling electronic devices now operate “like-for-like” schemes to tackle “E-Waste,” the world’s fastest growing source of waste. I hope this catches on because we have to find ways of recycling the precious raw materials these devices contain.

"The U.K. is showing a strong lead devising solutions. I was very impressed by the team at Imperial College London who took their knowledge of chemistry and polymers and mimicked the way Nature breaks down organic waste. Their company adds an agent to plastic which encourages natural decomposition within just two years, with nothing damaging left behind. I have asked them to create cups made from their self-destructive plastic to be called “cups for COP'' to demonstrate in Glasgow this week that even plastic can follow Nature’s circular economy and safely return to the Earth.

"Brilliant ideas like this come from realising that Nature has worked out how to fix most of the problems we face. It is why I have put so much effort into working with businesses around the world, believing that the private sector has a critically important role to play. Sadly, too often their“investment pipelines” to channel money to greener projects are blocked, so I set out two years ago to challenge leaders of some of the world’s biggest companies to identify what the barriers are. They tell me they need clearer information, particularly from their governments, about timescales and the market signals required for new infrastructure, which will open up huge opportunities for green jobs, and also for the international banks to be more open to backing investment. Only then can they plan and unlock the trillions of pounds at their disposal to make a sustainable future cheaper for everyone.

"The results of the Sun’s survey certainly support the important point that the choices people make have to be affordable, which is where targeted incentives to encourage the most sustainable operations can be so valuable. Nobody should be expected to pay the Earth to save it, but there are things individuals can do, and some may save money.

"I am of that generation that was brought up to “waste not want not” which is another way of saying reuse, repair and recycle. It also influences my attitude to food. Around 70% of the food wasted in the U.K. happens at home, all because we buy more than we eat, but if globally we stopped wasting a staggering 1.3 billion tonnes of food a year, it would cut global greenhouse gas emissions by up to 10% and help our finances.

"Thinking about where our money goes can also inspire change. I discovered from those who run the pensions industry that more and more customers are expecting their pension funds to invest in ways that do not destroy the planet, so even checking where your contributions go can make a difference.

"It might feel like these are small steps, but if everyone in the U.K. took them, imagine the impact it would have. We can all play our part, which is why I hope the Sun’s campaign persuades more to jump on board.”

Also in today’s paper is The Sun’s Big Green Survey of 2000 Sun readers to find out how Sun readers are ditching their cars, buying fewer new clothes and reducing their waste, all to help save the planet.

Nine out of 10 believe climate change is already having an impact on our world. More than half - 52 percent - say they would consider taking a train or ferry instead of a plane to their next holiday destination, which has jumped from 20 per cent from our 2019 Green survey.

The number of readers reducing the amount of red meat they eat has also jumped from 34 percent in our 2019 survey to 52 percent.

And 82 percent believe if we all make small changes, they will add up to a positive impact.

But there is still work to be done. Readers say the cost puts them off having an electric car and electric heating, and they want cheaper eco-friendly products.

Victoria Newton, editor in chief of The Sun said: “I am thrilled we have HRH The Prince of Wales launching The Sun’s Green Week in the lead up to Cop26, recognising the hard work of Sun readers to help the environment in the face of some hard decisions, campaigns such as Show Some Bottle, as well as setting the agenda for the week ahead. The Sun’s commitment to climate change has intensified over the past few years, and will continue to inform our readers of the opportunities tackling climate change can bring, and the everyday changes they can make to help the environment through our campaigns.”

For Green Week, The Sun has also launched our pledges campaign asking our readers to commit to pledges to make everyday changes in order to help the environment. We’ll also be visiting a family who took the pledge last October, to find out how they're getting on and how much money going green has saved them.

Broadcaster and adventurer Ben Fogle will be letting readers know how to be green with your kids - from litter picking, spotting animals in your garden, making bird feeders and more.

Rob Gill will be covering green car issues and opportunities in his motoring column, and Sunemployment will also be going Green as we inform readers about the opportunities that will be coming up in the job market.

Sun columnists Jeremy Clarkson, Jane Moore and Rod Liddle will also be covering the big green issues.

SunSavers already kicked off a Win A Caravan promotion, where readers will win a static holiday home package worth £55k, including a Willerby Grasmere caravan, 2022 pitch fees, water and electricity - a much more environmentally friendly way to holiday, encouraging staycations and reducing the amount of passengers on flights.

As well as all of this, we’ll also be following Cop26, informing our readers on what it’s all about, the big news and features on energy waste and solutions and green food choices.