I joined the Friends of Burnham Beach and the Surfers Against Sewerage for another of their beach cleans. Seeing lots of volunteers out on a Saturday morning is always great but the amount of plastic that is collected in just a few hours is really depressing. The impact it’s having on the wildlife in our seas and coast is profound and needs to be stopped before it’s too late.
Instinctively, I prefer to see this as an issue that we can resolve without excessive regulation. We can choose not to flush plastics like ear buds, sanitary towels and condoms down the loo. We can choose not to buy single use plastic bottles but to use refillable drinks bottles instead. And we can choose to buy products that have been responsible in the way they are packaged.
However the reality is that Government has a clear role in making all this happen. The 5p charge for plastic bags might be loathed by some but the reality is that the number of those bags we’re using has nosedived since the policy came in. In the same spirit we should look at the options for a deposit return scheme for plastic drinks bottles. And we should challenge industry to look more at how they can minimise the amount of plastic they’re using in packaging.
This week Wetherspoons have announced that they’ll stop using plastic drinking straws in their pubs. They’ll use paper instead. As a customer you’ll notice not the slightest difference but you’ll be making a big difference. We need more companies to behave in a similarly enlightened way.
The amount of plastic washed up on our beaches is a scandal. The inconvenience and cost of doing things differently is slim to none. I hope you’ll have a look at how you can reduce the plastic that you use and that you’ll support me in encouraging Government to do more on this important issue.