Taking action on plastics

THANKS to some great journalism and film-making, London and the world are waking up to the threat posed to the planet – and our own health – by plastic waste.

However, when we see images of mountains of plastic washed up on beaches thousands of miles away, or fish poisoned by micro-beads that have turned parts of the ocean into plastic soups, it may be tempting to think that the problem is just too big to tackle, or too far away.

The truth is that our actions as individuals will make a difference in tackling a global problem. We can start cleaning up the planet by starting in our own communities.

I was very impressed by the story of five-year-old Ava James who persuaded Pizza Express to ban plastic straws after writing to them saying they will make animals “sick”.

It shows how we can all make a difference.

So I reckon that as Londoners, the best way we can look after the world’s oceans is to start with our own lifestyles, our own waste and our own waterways.

If we can tackle plastic waste in the River Thames, as individuals or as communities or by supporting campaigns such as The Cleaner Thames campaign, perhaps the oceans will stand a chance too. Syed Kamall, Conservative MEP for London