The
result of the 5p plastic bag charge introduced two years ago has been amazing
with a drop in carrier bag use of about 80 percent. We have also banned
microbeads in cosmetics. Microbeads are tiny plastic particles used to give a
gritty texture to some soaps but which sewage systems are incapable of
filtering so they end up in the sea.
Thursday, 24 May 2018
Plastic
David Attenborough’s Blue
Planet opened people’s eyes to the damage that plastic is doing to our
oceans and marine environment catapulted the issue up the agenda, locally and
nationally.
A few weeks ago, I had the
pleasure of welcoming pupils from Portreath School to parliament. They
addressed a parliamentary committee on the work they have done to tackle the
scourge of plastic waste in our oceans. They have persuaded suppliers to change
from plastic to cardboard packaging, their milk now arrives in glass bottles,
and they help with beach cleans at Portreath. I also received letters from a
number of students at Mount Hawke Academy, all of whom are campaigning for Parliament
to do more to tackle the problem. Last week, I responded to a debate about
plastic bottles and coffee cups in the House of Commons on behalf of the
Government. I was pleased to be able to pay tribute to the work done by these
local children to make sure that more is being done to look after our
environment.
Cornwall is also home to Surfers
Against Sewage, which has done great work in campaigning nationally against
marine pollution. It has been at the forefront of a campaign to reduce the use
of plastics on the parliamentary estate. That campaign has been a success, and
parliamentary authorities have announced a series of steps to reduce plastic
waste.
Plastic
has always been a particular concern; it takes hundreds of years to break down
and has been the subject of high profile debate recently. The problem is
compounded year after year as new plastics find their way into the oceans while
those that have already been there for decades remain and break down into
smaller particles.
The
government has pledged to crack down on plastics by eliminating all avoidable
plastic waste through extending the 5p plastic bag charge to small retailers,
removing consumer single use plastics from the government estate, supporting
the water industry to significantly increase water fountains and working with
retailers on introducing plastic-free supermarket aisles.
A
recent call for evidence is clear that we will consider a levy on disposable
cups. We also have consultations coming up on banning plastic straws, plastic
stirrers and cotton buds, and on introducing a deposit return scheme.
Our
successes show us that we can all make a difference if we act. I could not be more
proud of the leading role that Cornwall is taking in tackling plastic, and
helping ensure that the UK is a world leader in environmental protection.
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