... and now cotton buds are added to banned items list

THE sale and manufacture of plastic cotton buds is to be banned in Scotland in the latest bid to tackle the pollution choking our seas.

Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham will today announce proposals to introduce legislation to outlaw the use of plastic in cotton buds.

They are among the most common types of pollution found on Scotland’s beaches and account for up to 10 per cent of marine debris because many people wrongly think they can flush them down the toilet.

Independent research found there are an average of 29 cotton buds for every 100 yards of Scottish beach.

In the latest move to tackle plastic pollution, Miss Cunningham will confirm that a consultation will be published within weeks containing proposals to stop firms producing plastic-stemmed cotton buds and prevent retailers selling them.

It is another victory for the Scottish Daily Mail’s campaign to ‘Turn The Tide on Plastic’.

Miss Cunningham said: ‘Banning plastic cotton buds would be a clear sign of our ambition to address marine plastics and demonstrate further leadership on this issue. Despite various campaigns, people are continuing to flush litter down their toilets. This has to stop.

‘Scotland’s sewerage infrastructure collects and treats some 945million litres of waste water each day.

‘These systems are not designed to remove small plastic items such as plastic buds which can kill marine animals and birds that swallow them.

‘These products are completely unnecessary, as biodegradable alternatives are readily available.

‘The need for action is clear and I would encourage everyone with an interest in safeguarding our natural environment to take part in the consultation when it opens.’

The Marine Conservation Society revealed in November that people flushing away bathroom waste have contributed to a surge in litter on Scotland’s beaches.

It found that an average of 500 pieces of litter, including plastics and sanitary items, can now be found strewn over every 100 yards of beach. On average, 29 cotton buds were discovered every 100 yards.

And it said the volume of sewage-related rubbish such as wet wipes and cotton swabs found along the coast has soared by 40 per cent in the past year.

Calum Duncan, head of Conservation Scotland for the Marine Conservation Society, said: ‘This is a welcome move that will help stop the tide of plastic ending up on our beaches and in our seas.

‘From the 111 Scottish beaches contributing to our Great British Beach Clean in 2017, an average of 29.4 cotton bud sticks were recorded per 100m survey stretch.

‘We support the banning of plastic from the manufacture of cotton buds as this will reduce the amount of single-use plastic being used and sent to landfill, and if flushed, which we firmly discourage regardless of material made from, the number contributing to the rising tide of plastic in our seas and on our beaches.’

A study for the European Commission in 2014 found plastic cotton bud stems contributed to between five and 10 per cent of marine debris surveyed in European seas.

Alasdair Neilson, of environmental charity Fidra, which runs an initiative aimed at ending the use of plastic cotton buds, said: ‘This progressive step will be welcomed by everyone who has seen cotton buds polluting our beaches and harming our wildlife.

‘A ban would support the responsible businesses that have already removed this single-use plastic item from their shelves. Let’s hope it also marks a bigger shift in the way we use and value plastics.’