Oban schoolboy launches his own eco-war on plastic straws
SIX-YEAR-OLD ‘eco-boy’ Felix Hughes is on a superhero mission to save the world from plastic waste.
Felix, a pupil at Oban’s Rockfield Primary School, has tackled giant milk supplier Müller Milk over the use of plastic straws it attaches to its drinks cartons.
The campaigning youngster, inspired to stop plastic pollution after watching TV hit Blue Planet, sent copies of his Müller Milk letter to Prime Minister Theresa May, the boss of Argyll and Bute Council, local politicians, Greenpeace, his head teacher and The Oban Times.
In his letter, he said: ‘I like milk but I don’t like the straw and the plastic wrapping it comes in. My school is quite big and we think there is around 1,000 straws going into the bin every week. I would like you to make paper straws or design something that you can drink out of that does not have any plastic in but can still break the carton lid.’
A Müller spokesman said its straws on milk cartons can be recycled into non-food products and it is working with its packaging supplier to identify potential alternatives.
He added: ‘Our advice is to leave the straw in the pack and to ensure the pack is sent for recycling.’
Felix’s mum Susannah said they had double-checked with Argyll and Bute Council and were satisfied Müller’s advice was correct.
The youngster’s school is following Felix’s lead and is waiting for delivery of new recycling bins to help keep it green.
His brother Rufus, nine, has also been joining in the eco-campaign and their head teacher, Caroline Fothergill, said: ‘We are very proud of them for showing such leadership.’
Argyll and Bute MP Brendan O’Hara was so impressed by Felix’s ‘humbling’ letter he told The Oban Times he had decided to join the all-party parliamentary group on plastic waste.
He said: ‘I am so impressed that Felix has written to so many influential people. Plastic waste is becoming a huge problem. I hope Müller Milk and other producers take his views on board.’
The youngster was delighted to receive a reply from Downing Street which said: ‘It was very good of you to get in touch and for taking the time and trouble to share your thoughts about this important matter. Your views were very well expressed.’
Meanwhile, Argyll and Bute Council chief executive Cleland Sneddon said he had spoken to its catering team who have already been working with Müller and other councils to come up with a different way of providing straws that are not made of plastic but can still pierce the carton. He said: ‘It might take a little time for the manufacturers to find a way of doing this but the company have told us they are keen to find a way to tackle the problems. I hope they are able to come up with a solution soon as I, too, am keen we reduce the amount of plastic we use.’
Oceans campaigner at Greenpeace UK Tisha Brown said they were ‘honoured’ to be included in Felix’s campaign and added: ‘We wholeheartedly support it and would advise Müller Milk to take it very seriously.’
Green MSP John Finnie was delighted to receive a copy of Felix’s letter and said: ‘There has been a lot of action in recent months in Scotland with groups working to get rid of the ever-growing plastic waste problem we all face. I am especially delighted to see that much of this action is coming from young people, forcing long overdue action from older people like myself.’
Argyll MSP Michael Russell said he was ‘really keen to work with Felix’ and was talking to a number of people in the area about how to make Oban a plastics-free town’.
Let’s all ditch plastic
ISN’T young Felix Hughes a wee hero? The six-year-old Oban youngster is so concerned about the damage being done to the marine environment he has written a grown-up and erudite letter to a number of movers and shakers appealing for action to reduce the amount of plastic being dumped.
Felix’s effort to help the marine eco system is just the latest attempt to jolt big firms, local authorities, small businesses and individuals into cleaning up our act.
We reported a couple of weeks ago about the Food from Argyll Cafe at the Pier in Oban moving to use Vegware instead of plastics for its takeaway food and drink containers.
Cafe manager Claire Bruce told us Vegware costs the same as ‘traditional’ plastic containers, so there was no reason not to make the switch.
Claire’s initiative followed hot on the heels of a Glasgow primary school’s successful bid to persuade CalMac to ban the use of plastic straws on its vessels. CalMac was only too pleased to agree to the aims of the #NaeStrawAtAw campaign.
Here at The Oban Times, we want to persuade everyone in Oban and the wider Argyll community – businesses, the council and all of you out there – to embrace the campaign.
A similar effort is taking place on Arran to make it the first plastic-free island in Scotland and it is already making serious inroads into the amount of plastic being used.
I personally have a long way to go to become greener but I’m prepared to make the effort.
I’m starting by questioning the plastic packaging we habitually accept as ‘normal’. Instead of putting your carrots, onions or other veg into plastic bags, just put them into your trolley loose and then into your bag for life at the checkout. And let’s all start asking – when we buy a coffee or portion of chips or whatever – to have it in Vegware or compostable containers. If enough of us apply pressure to the businesses involved, we can persuade them to change their ways. The economic reality of having disappointed customers can take us a long way.
Here in Oban, wee Felix has started a ball rolling but it’s one that we can all pick up and run with.
Let’s all get behind Felix and ditch the plastic. It will make a world of a difference.
Cruising to a bumper tourist season
I was intrigued to read on the Oban and Lorn Tourism Alliance website the list of cruise ships scheduled to arrive at Oban this summer.
There are more than 30 visits planned, bringing with them many hundreds of tourists who will, no doubt, spend their hard-earned cash in the town’s businesses and at other enterprises across Argyll.
This is brilliant news for the local economy. I have no doubt the good folk at BID4Oban will be pulling out all the stops to welcome the visitors. Town ambassadors Kay McDonald and Joe Reich try to meet and greet every cruise ship that moors in the bay, helping those who come ashore to make the most of their visit.
Local shops, cafes, restaurants, pubs and tourist attractions will all benefit hugely from the influx of tourists, with the added spin-off benefit that these particular visitors are here without adding to the traffic congestion that can clog up the town.
We should all extend a warm welcome to the visitors.
What do you think?
WRITE to me at mlaing@obantimes.co.uk or The Oban Times, Crannog Lane, Oban, PA34 4 HB.