Plastic has become so cheap, it is literally thrown away without a thought.
Something like the equivalent of a truckload of plastic is dumped into the world’s waterways every minute. This has a huge and negative impact on wildlife and the environment.
I am urging the Scottish Government to ban all single use plastic in Scotland and suggesting that there should be an initial focus on food and drink-related items, including:
- Single use plastic cups and tumblers
- Single use plastic cutlery
- Single use plastic plates
- Single use plastic take-away food boxes
- Single use plastic straws
- Single use plastic sauce holders
- Single use plastic bags
- Single use plastic give-away toys
Plastic is now in the air we breathe, the food we eat and can even make its way into our internal organs.
Whales are washing up dead on our coastlines with their stomachs full of plastic. Our countryside and streets are awash with litter.
I know this, because I do lots of work locally to support the environment.
I carry out beach cleans and litter picks. I also run a local Facebook site called the 'literati guide to Inverclyde'. I also regularly join forces with other local environmentalists.
We need to take action now before it's too late. We need radical and transformational policy change to address the structural and behavioural issues which are driving this reliance on single use plastic.
Scotland has an opportunity to take the lead and be seen as one of the most environmentally progressive countries in the world.
Other countries, states and cities have already taken steps to tackle single use plastic. Some examples include:
- Kenya banned plastic bags in 2017, introducing sentences of up to four years in jail or a $38k fine for those who break the rules
- Vanuatu has announced the phasing out of plastic bags and bottles
- Taiwan has announced the restriction on plastic bags, straws, utensils and cups
- Zimbabwe has announced a total ban on polystyrene
- Montreal has banned all single use plastic bags
- Malibu has banned single use straws, stirrers and plastic cutlery
- Seattle has banned plastic straws and single use plastic utensils
- South Australia has state-wide bans on plastic bags
- Hamburg has banned non-recyclable coffee pods
- France has announced a total ban on plastic cups, plates and cutlery from 2020
- New Delhi banned all single use plastics in 2017 and;
- New York is considering a proposal to ban all single use plastic bags
This petition is only a small step on the overall journey which is needed to minimise the impact of single use plastic on our environment.