Is plastic pollution killing us?

Environmental campaigner Emily Penn led a UK sailing expedition to draw attention to the problem of plastic pollution, and its potential health implications. found out more...

When a Courier photographer captured the extent of the plastic pollution blighting our shores during a photo call at the Queensferry Crossing a few weeks ago, it drew attention to the fact that the Forth is a particular hot spot for the pollution menace.

Thousands of nurdles – small plastic pellets which are melted down in factories for the manufacture of plastic products – wash up on most beaches, but estuaries tend to attract a higher number, and the Forth is no exception.

Now a world renowned yachtswoman and environmental campaigner is backing calls for a change in the law whereby it would be an offence to litter beaches with plastic.

Emily Penn, who has devoted most of her adult life drawing attention to the global issue, is supporting a suggestion by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) and Green MSP Mark Ruskell that the issue be raised in the Scottish Parliament.

It comes after Emily and her allfemale crew undertook a pioneering round Britain sailing expedition to raise awareness of the problem.

The crew, who completed their 30-day voyage from Plymouth last week, included scientists, students, artists, filmmakers, businesswomen, psychologists, ocean activists and sustainability professionals, who ranged from first-time to experienced sailors.

During their trip they sampled the waters all around the UK from as far as 10 miles offshore, and took samples from off the Tayside and Fife coast.

Emily, 30, a Cambridge University architecture graduate from South Wales, revealed that evidence of Britain’s role in contributing to this global problem is growing.

And she hoped as many people as possible would engage with the

“What we are really thinking about on this voyage is what can we do as individuals to actually avoid plastic completely

campaign to pressurise government and industry for change “closer to the source of the problem”.

She said: “What we are really thinking about on this voyage is what can we do as individuals to actually avoid plastic completely.

“What can governments do to advocate those actions to ban certain types of plastics or put taxes on plastic?

“And then what can companies do – the people who actually manufacture these products, so that consumers actually have choice.

“Companies are making products that are being designed to be used once and then thrown away.

“But change only works if consumers, all of us, are willing to buy the products that are packaged in a new way and without plastic.”

Across the world, plastics are being washed into drains, rivers and sewers.

There’s thought to be more than five trillion pieces of plastic weighing over 250,000 tonnes floating in the oceans.

The impact on sea life is evident. From dead albatrosses to whales with their stomachs stuffed with plastic, around 100,000 seabirds and 100,000 mammals die each year because of plastic pollution.

But there’s also growing concerns about the potential impact on human health to be concerned about.

She added: “The evidence of it getting into the human food chain is ongoing at the moment.

“One line of inquiry that we have been looking at is the actual toxic chemicals that are in plastic. We do know we are getting those nasty chemicals inside of us. The big question is where are we getting them from?”

Emily’s expedition crew completed their sail in Plymouth on September 5 and raised £10,000 through crowdfunding for outreach activities at ports visited during the voyage.

Emily and her all-female crew undertook a pioneering round Britain sailing expedition to raise awareness of the problem.