Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, has backed concerns surrounding the rising tide of single use plastics filling our Scottish seas.
At a debate expressing the actions taken to tackle the impact of single-use plastics on Land and Sea, Carson called for further and faster action to be taken in order to enlighten the public on ways to minimise our rapid plastic consumption – in an aim to change public perception and produce an increasingly environmentally aware Scottish culture where consumers “enjoy doing the right thing”.
While acknowledging the positive impact policy has had with regards to the 5p plastic bag charge Carson has stressed more action must be encouraged in order to meet our target of zero avoidable waste by 2042 while incorporating a consideration for the needs of everyone.
Finlay Carson, the Galloway and West Dumfries MSP stated:
“Nationally and internationally, marine plastic pollution has caused a global biodiversity loss at a rate consistent with a sixth mass extinction.”
“48% of fish sampled from coastal waters in Scotland now contain plastic in their digestive system.”
“The Scottish Continental Shelf contains the highest proportion of marine litter in the country.”
“Legislative solutions and policy initiatives can, where necessary, play an important role in reducing single-use plastics.”
“Beverage containers are some of the most common items accumulating on shore lines. In Britain, an estimated 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups are used every year creating around 25,000 tonnes of waste.”
“That is why I asked the CEO of the Scottish Parliament to look into banning single use coffee cups which are not recyclable, so that we can lead by example on this issue and show that making small behaviour changes can be straightforward.”
“While policies must be thorough, it is important they do not come at the expense of vulnerable groups.”
“I concur that the thinking behind any initiative should be grounded in real world understanding.”
“We must consider the needs of those who, for example, are not able to visit a supermarket regularly and rely on plastic-wrapped foods to keep their food fresher for longer.”
“It is crucial that the Scottish Government must incorporate this inclusive approach into the Deposit Return Scheme.”
“Stemming the plastic tide will allow us to better safeguard our environment, keep our sites of natural coastal beauty free from litter and contribute to an overall improvement in the quality of the Scottish marine environment.”
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