Victory for children in bid to ban straws
Biggest council acts after school’s green campaign
PLASTIC straws are to be banned by Scotland’s biggest council in an effort to tackle pollution.
Glasgow has announced it will no longer use them in its museums, offices, sports centres and schools.
The move has been welcomed by campaigners calling for action to tackle the scourge of throwaway plastic on beaches.
It is the biggest victory since a campaign was launched earlier this month to cut straw use and seek a government ban. Glasgow City Council said its decision followed a campaign by pupils at Sunnyside Primary School, in the city’s Craigend area.
From the end of next month, Encore, the council’s commercial catering division, will provide an eco-friendly alternative to anyone wanting a straw.
The use of pre-packaged drinks supplied with plastic straws will also be reviewed.
The decision applies to more than 26 cafes in the council’s museums, sports centres, offices, schools and the city chambers. It will prevent tens of thousands of plastic straws going to landfill each year.
SNP MSP Kate Forbes is calling for ministers to ban the sale and manufacture of plastic straws, which can take up to 500 years to decompose.
Anna Richardson, Glasgow City Council’s convenor for sustainability and carbon reduction, said: ‘Sunnyyear side Primary’s #NaeStrawAtAw campaign has been the deciding factor in this move and the pupils are to be congratulated on their impressive lobbying skills.
‘They are a true force of nature – highlighting the plight of marine wildlife and encouraging businesses to join their campaign.’
Dropped straws can be blown into rivers and washed into the sea, where they threaten seabirds, turtles, whales and dolphins. Microplastics can also get into the food chain if eaten by fish.
It is estimated that up to three billion of them are handed out every in Scotland. During its Great British Beach Clean, the Marine Conservation Society charity found items like drinks containers, straws, lids and stirrers made up 17 per cent of all litter on Scotland’s beaches – and 64 per cent of the litter which members of the public were responsible for.
On average, it found 83 pieces of ‘on the go’ litter on every 100 metres of beaches it cleaned and surveyed north of the Border – 10 per cent more than the previous year.
Miss Forbes said: ‘With so many priorities facing local authorities, I’m really grateful to Glasgow City Council for committing to reduce their use of plastic straws.
‘I hope that if all the local authority areas take a lead on this then we will start to see a real shift in consumer behaviour. As such, full credit to Glasgow City Council for recognising the importance of this issue and pledging to do something about it.’
Lisa Perrie, principal teacher at Sunnyside Primary, said: ‘This is fantastic news and the children are absolutely thrilled. They have worked so hard on this campaign and the results have been amazing. We’ve had tremendous support and Glasgow City Council’s announcement is a major boost.
‘It shows the children they can make a big difference in the world and that their views really matter.’