LISTEN: Andrew Pankhurst says what this data reveals, why single use plastics are so detrimental and what you can do about it
Single use plastics are proving to be less and less popular in the Highland Perthshire area reveals a YouGov survey this year.
83% of people asked from Perth and Kinross said that they are ‘concerned’ about single-use plastics and would support regulations suggested by Zero-Waste Scotland.
Spokesperson, Andrew Pankhurst, said: “These bits of plastic are usually made out of fossil fuels, such as oil, they contribute significantly to the huge carbon emissions that come from our use of materials. A lot of people don’t realise that four-fifths of Scotland’s carbon foot print comes from the materials we use.
“Single use plastics also last an incredibly long time, some of them can last as along as five hundred years and that’s especially bad when they end up as litter, because they have really damaging and long lasting impact on our environment and wildlife.”
More than four fifths of residents in mid-Scotland are concerned about the volume of single-use items and packaging used across the country and would support regulations that limit their use.
There are an estimated 300 million plastic straws, 276 million pieces of plastic cutlery, 50 million plastic plates and 66 million polystyrene food containers used annually in Scotland with the potential to cause ‘significant damage to our environment.’
But there are options out there for people in Highland Perthshire who want to do more to reduce these numbers.
Mr Pankhurst added: “In terms of what people in Highland Perthshire can do to reduce their use of single use plastics, the best thing to do is just to avoid single use plastics and get your own re-usable alternatives.
“So get a re-usable bottle, re-usable coffee cup, cutely, re-usable food container and take them with you wherever you’re likely to go.
“Re-usable alternatives are by far the best thing for the environment, just switching to other single use items that are made of other materials than plastic, like wood or paper, aren’t isn’t actually fixing the problem.
“Because again that’s a real waste of resources and all that stuff is going to end up in landfills anyway, so getting re-usable alternatives is the best way.”