Earlier this week we celebrated World Oceans Day, sharing some of the ways the RSPB is innovating for a sustainable ocean to protect our internationally important seabirds. Dolphinwatch Visitor Experience Officer, Niamh thought it was a great opportunity to share some positive legislative changes that have been campaigned for by other organisations, particularly focussing on one of the greatest threats to marine life: plastic. Many environmental Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), along with their fellow supporters, are fighting for a better protected marine environment as we continue to strive for healthier and safer seas, free from plastic pollution.
Successes for our Seas
Plastic bag levy
In 2014, over 7.6 billion single-use plastic bags were given to customers by major supermarkets in the UK. Due to the risks plastic poses to wildlife, environmental NGOs including WWF Scotland and Marine Conservation Society, with help from their supporters, advocated for the introduction of a plastic bag levy. Following Wales in 2011, and Northern Ireland in 2013; in 2014, the Scottish Government introduced a charge for single use bags, this was later introduced in England in 2015. The aim was to reduce the amount of single-use plastic carrier bags used to limit the associated litter and harm they cause to wildlife. In the first year of the ban a massive 80% reduction in use of single-use plastic bags was observed in Scotland. Encouragingly, Marine Conservation Society have also seen a significant drop (almost 50%) in the number of plastic bags found during beach cleans across the UK.
Microbead Ban
Microbeads are tiny plastic particles added to personal care and cleaning products as an exfoliator and can be found in items such as face scrubs, toothpastes and shower gels. Back in 2016, scientists estimated that just one shower alone could send up to 10,000 microbeads down our drains. The problem with microbeads is that they are so small, that they can’t be filtered out at sewage treatment works and end up flowing into the ocean. Microplastics pose a significant ingestion risk to marine life and, over time, the plastic consumed accumulates in animals along the food chain, which ultimately poses a risk to human health too. In 2018, supported by Greenpeace, Environmental Investigation Agency, Marine Conservation Society and Fauna & Flora International, the Scottish Government announced legislation to ban the microbeads less than 5mm in size from rinse-off cosmetics and personal care products. The effects of the ban will need to be monitored but this is a step in the right direction to address the huge problem of plastic pollution.
Plastic-stemmed cotton buds ban
Plastic-stemmed cotton buds are contributing to the marine plastic issue from damaging the marine environment, risking public health from contact on beaches and risking the life of marine wildlife. They make their way into the sea when they are flushed down toilets and when they slip through the sewage treatment works. With a push from the Scottish environmental charity Fidra, and many other environmental NGOs including Scottish Wildlife Trust, Fauna & Flora International, Keep Scotland Beautiful, and Marine Conservation Society the Scottish Government placed a ban on the sale and manufacture of plastic-stemmed cotton buds in 2019.
Deposit Return Scheme
And something to keep our eyes open for is the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) System! The Scottish Parliament has recently voted in favour of a DRS to boost recycling of single-use drink containers. The scheme, supported by Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland, RSPB, Marine Conservation Society, Surfers against Sewage, Friends of the Earth Scotland and Scottish Wildlife Trust, will be the first in the UK and will be available from July 2022. Consumers will be charged a 20p deposit on metal cans, plastic and glass bottles, which will be refunded when the container is returned for recycling. In Scotland, the curb side recycling rate is only 44% compared to 90-95% rate observed in some European countries where a deposit return system is in place. This scheme will help reduce litter and should help to address throwaway culture, which will benefit wildlife and future generations. Read more about the benefits of the DRS in Scotland on the ‘Have you got the bottle?’ website.
RSPB Scotland Dolphinwatch’s Niamh collected 176 bottles within a 20m patch of woodland. It took approximately 30 minutes to gather up the four bags ready to be recycled.
These legislative changes have not come easy. The environmental NGOs listed here, and many more, along with their supporters, have fought long and tirelessly to raise awareness about the threats our seas are facing and deliver policy change. These are some fantastic wins, particularly to address plastic pollution, but we need to work together and continue on this trajectory if we are to deliver the scale of change needed to protect our seas and communities. With our passion to develop solutions and push for legislative change, we can hope for a better future for our marine environment and the animals living within!
You can learn more about the RSPB's marine work protecting internationally important seabirds on our website and in our recent blog. Find out how to do your own beach clean or litter pick, as part of the Wild Challenge award here.