Marine summit in Oban
Meeting aims to tackle rising tide of plastic litter in oceans A national summit on marine litter meets in Oban on Monday in a bid to stem the plastic tide.
The one-day summit at the Perle Hotel was called by Scottish Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham.
Ms Cunningham told The Oban Times she was looking forward to next week’s discussions.
The summit comes as ferry operator CalMac, which banned plastic straws earlier this year, announced its latest efforts. It will be scrapping disposable cups and replacing them with reusable ones. It is also in the process of swapping individual milk portions with milk jugs and removing sauce sachets with sauce dispensers.
CalMac already runs a Zero Waste Overboard policy and has recycling bins on board its vessels and in terminal buildings.
‘When we banned straws on board we pledged to look at every other area of the business to strive to reduce use of plastics that cause so much environmental damage,’ said CalMac waste manager Ruth Rice.
‘These steps will make a significant difference to the amount of plastic being used and disposed of on board. Longer term, we are working closely with our suppliers to source alternative compostable or fully recyclable packaging for all other foodstuffs we sell on board.’
Delegates at Monday’s summit will include an expert from the Scottish Association for Marine Science at Dunbeg, Argyll and Bute Council, manufacturers, retailers, others with marine and environmental interests, and coastal communities.
Ms Cunningham said: ‘No one can escape the momentum that’s building around plastic waste and marine litter. That is why it’s important we capitalise on this moment and are inviting communities, manufacturers, retailers and marine and environmental stakeholders to Oban next week to discuss how government, industry and communities can take action on this issue.’
Earlier this month the Scottish Government removed single-use coffee cups from its main buildings and also appointed an expert panel to consider what action can be taken on plastic straws and disposable cups. It has also committed £500,000 to begin to address litter sinks.
‘Communities have shown fantastic support for this cause – from the schools and community groups banning disposable items to those who take part in litter pick-ups on a regular basis.
‘It was fantastic to see more than 140 volunteers taking part in the Arrochar big clean in May and handpicking 244 bags of litter from the area.
‘I am also pleased to see industry step up to the challenge of reducing waste and recycling more plastics – reusable or easily recycled – by 2030,’ added Ms Cunningham.
‘I look forward to hearing the discussions next week on how Scotland can continue to show environmental leadership and reduce the amount of waste littering our communities and coasts.’