‘Single-use’ is the Word Of The Year and hooray, climate change is over

Massive congrats to all involved.

'Single-use' has been named the Word Of The Year 2018 by Collins Dictionary. The word refers to disposable products such as plastic that are made to be used once and are then thrown away. This year saw an influx of companies, restaurants, and bars commit to limiting their use of single-use products in a bid to reduce waste. It is estimated that between 1.15 to 2.41 million tonnes of plastic enters the oceans via rivers every year. Collins Dictionary also noted that there had been a significant increase in uses of the words 'MeToo,' 'backstop' and 'Brexit' this year. 'Gaslight', 'whitewash,' and 'vegan' have also become "increasingly mainstream" according to the dictionary. Helen Newstead, head of language content at Collins Dictionary, said that the top words of the year show how language is always developing and being adapted. She said:  

"The rise of new words and the revitalisation and adaptation of old ones contribute to the ever-evolving English language". "It's clear from this year's Words Of The Year list that changes to our language are dictated as much by public concern as they are by sport, politics, and playground fads".

Last year's Word Of The Year as chosen by Oxford Dictionary was 'Youthquake' - "a significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people."