The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Plastic pollution on Fife beach exposed by new exhibition
Photography project hopes to open eyes to damage caused by rubbish on Anstruther shore
A year’s worth of rubbish from a Fife beach will come into focus in a photography exhibition exposing the scourge of plastic pollution.
Thought-provoking images of litter collected from Anstruther sands are expected to prompt debate about the damage caused to the shoreline and marine wildlife by dumped or washed up trash.
It Ends Up On Our Beach will go on show in the Dreel Halls, Anstruther, later this month.
Christine Keay saved a fraction of the rubbish she collected over a 12-month period and worked with retired environmental scientists and fellow Anstruther residents Graham and Linda James on presenting it to the public.
Graham, a keen hobby photographer, created 20 eye-opening images, complemented by information composed by Linda about the make-up of the waste, whether it can be recycled and potential future uses.
Christine said that for years she had enjoyed collecting shells and sea glass but nowadays was more likely to find plastic bottles, disposable lighters, burst balloons and fishing lines.
She said: “I try to clear up as much as I can and bin it but last year I decided to keep a representative sample of what I found over the course of one year, and that is what you see in Graham’s photographs.
“Remember, this is only a small percentage of what I and others have taken off the beach.
“Quite apart from the devastating effect on seabirds and turtles etc, microscopic fragments of plastic are being consumed by the very fish we enjoy with our chips. It should worry us all.”
Graham said: “In the past few weeks we have seen the EU moving towards banning single use plastics.
“It would be my hope that if we were to run this project and exhibition in 10 years’ time, much of what is featured now as beach pollution will no longer be in existence and other components drastically reduced in amount, as ongoing public awareness and attitude makes littering an unacceptable practice.”
The free exhibition is co-hosted by Anstruther Improvements Association, of which Christine is a member, and Plastic Free Anstruther, sponsored by The Community Kist.
It opens on Friday November 16 from 7-9pm and continues two days later on Sunday 18 from 12-5pm.
On the Sunday Anster Cinema will screen environmental documentary The Clean Bin Project at 6.45pm to coincide.
Fragments of plastic are being consumed by the very fish we enjoy with our chips. It should worry us all