Government plan to tackle plastic at sea
The UK government intends to ban plastic microbeads in cosmetic products in an effort to reduce the amount of plastic waste in the marine environment. Around eight million tonnes of plastic enters the world’s oceans each year, polluting water and beaches, threatening wildlife and potentially entering the human food chain.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove outlined plans for the UK to be a world leader in environmental protection, after figures showed nine billion fewer plastic bags were used since the UK introduced a 5p charge for the carrier bags, an 83 per cent drop.
Kate Fortnam, campaign manager of The Green Blue, said: ‘As boaters we all have a vested interest in protecting the environment where we spend our leisure time. Grey water discharge from sinks and showers can be damaging to sensitive aquatic life. ’
Elsewhere, new research predicts that plastic ingestion will affect 99 per cent of the world’s seabirds by 2050.