Fight on plastic continues
A year after launching her campaign to ban plastic straws, Lochaber MSP Kate Forbes says she hopes 2019 will see further progress on the issue.
Last year scores of public bodies, supermarkets, cafes, bars and restaurants ditched plastic straws in favour of biodegradable alternatives.
The MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch took up the fight after hearing about the damage to coastal wildlife caused by plastic pollution.
Her campaigning efforts over the past year resulted in Ms Forbes being named as a finalist for an RSPB Nature of Scotland Award. She told the Lochaber Times: ‘Since launching the Final Straw campaign a year ago, lots of retailers have stopped providing or selling plastic straws and the Scottish Government has committed to phasing in a ban on plastic straws.
‘An advisor was appointed by the Scottish Government to consider how any proposed ban will affect disabled people and ensure there are no unintended consequences.’
The MSP continued: ‘Ultimately, a plastic straw is just one symbol of single-use plastic and the problem is much wider than straws. Litter still plagues our coastlines and we’re still consuming too much plastic. 2018 was a successful year for raising awareness of single use plastic and I hope 2019 builds on that.’
‘Litter still plagues our coastlines and we’re still consuming too much plastic.’