Burnham-on-Sea MP James Heappey has pledged his support for a project which aims to clean up the town’s beach and reduce the use of single-use plastics.
Campaigning group Surfers Against Sewage proposed a motion at Burnham and Highbridge Town Council for the beach to gain Plastic Free Coastline status, which would see the use of plastics such as cutlery, straws and food packaging dramatically reduced.
Recently Mr Heappey joined Surfers Against Sewerage and Friends of Burnham Beach on a beach clean, and spoke of his concern at the amount of plastic on the beach, calling it ‘horrendous’.
In a letter of support to the Council, Mr Heappey wrote: “The amount of plastic that is washed up on our beaches is horrendous and it is gut wrenching to see the amount of it that has obviously been pecked or bitten by birds or other marine life.
“Only the tiniest fraction of the 8 million tonnes of plastic that enters our oceans each year will originate from Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge and so it will be easy to say that the motion you are discussing this evening will make no difference and that this is a matter for national Governments and international organisations like the UN.
“I agree. Yet local action matters too. Much of the plastic on the beach in Burnham originated locally and so by committing to the Plastic Free Coastline we can make a difference to marine life in our area.”
The motion was unanimously passed last night (Monday).