Thursday 1 October 2020 saw the ban of plastic straws, stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds. This new enforcement aims to reduce the amount of plastic waste reaching, and thus harming the marine environment.
Why is this a big step? Approximately 5,000 items of marine plastic pollution have been found per mile of beach in the UK. Amongst the unwanted sea of litter, straws, stirrers and cotton buds consistently reveal themselves to be top offenders.
So, the ban of these items will inevitably lead to less plastic being disposed of incorrectly. Therefore, less ending up in our seas. Bans such as this are vital to save the 100,000 marine mammals and turtles that are killed by marine plastic pollution annually.
Cleaner seas are a part of the global movement towards a more sustainable future. As another article by reef trust reads, it is essential that we stop the 9 million metric tonnes of plastic entering our oceans every year at its source. Less plastic, less harm to marine life.
Dr Laura Foster, Head of Clean Seas at the Marine Conservation Society, claims:
“Only with ambitious policy and forward-thinking brands and companies, can we truly stop the plastic tide.”
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