A north MSP has had the ‘Final Straw’ with pollution as she unveils a bid today to prevent three billion of the items being thrown away every year.
Kate Forbes is calling for plastic straws to be banned in a bid to prevent further damage to coastal wildlife from plastic pollution.
The MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch said: “I am launching a campaign to call on the UK and Scottish Governments to crack down on plastic straws as part of an overall strategy to ban single-use, disposable items such as cotton buds and throwaway cutlery, where environmentally-friendly alternatives exist.
“Before the Christmas recess, I asked the Scottish Government to look at the issue of plastic straws and the Cabinet Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said the Scottish Government were considering a number of options.
“Any ban has got to be UK-wide, because the sea does not respect country borders and plastic straws washed out to sea in the south of England could easily end up on the Highland coastline.”
While the Highland and Islands MSP believes an outright ban would solve Scotland’s growing problem, ministers also believe a levy – such as the one placed on plastic bags – would go a long way to solving the issue.
She added: “In the battle against plastic straws, I certainly think that a disincentive, such as a levy, should be considered.
“The problem won’t go away on its own. We have already seen how a levy works on plastic bags and there’s been more attention recently on MPs’ call for a levy on plastic cups.”
Straws are predominantly made up of polypropylene or polystyrene and could take up to 500 years to decompose.
Miss Forbes is urging hospitality businesses to stop the distribution of straws and replace them with more eco-friendly options.
She said: “As part of my campaign, I am asking pubs and restaurants to stop handing out straws automatically and to provide biodegradable alternatives.
“Chains like Wetherspoons and individual businesses like the Royal Hotel in Cromarty have already done that and I hope others will follow their lead.
“Our seas are rich with wildlife. The Highland east coast is home to the world’s most northern pod of bottlenose dolphins and Scotland has the highest number of harbour porpoises in Europe.”
