Not so fantastic plastic

If you’re a nature lover like me then you were probably glued to your TV during Blue Planet 2. The new findings from this series have been incredible, from attaching cameras to whale-sharks to help find where they give birth to their pups, to the first ever footage of an amazing fish that preys on seabirds.

However, the last show of the series left me sad and disappointed that we are still causing no end of harm to our oceans with an increasing tide of plastic finding its way into the sea.

You may think here in Cumbernauld that we are miles away from this problem, but sadly that’s not the case. Every day wet wipes, cotton-buds and all manner of plastics and other waste are either flushed down toilets, dropped as litter, or deliberately fly-tipped in towns all over across Scotland including our own. Plastic waste takes a very long time to break down, and once it’s in the water its not difficult for it to make its way into the sea.

There are some very simple ways to help. Follow the Three-P rule in your bathroom and only flush pee, poo and toilet paper down the drain. All other waste should go into the bin. Recycle as much as possible and try to reuse things that aren’t recyclable.

Even better, try to reduce the amount of plastics and general rubbish you use. Take bags for life with you on your weekly shop and let your local supermarket know that you would like to see less plastic on their shelves. If we all make small changes, it can add up to a huge impact for our wildlife.

there is a growing appetite for fixing the problem, last week the Scottish Government announced it plans to ban plastic cotton buds, and in December some primary school pupils created a huge change in Ullapool by getting everyone to stop using plastic straws!

Let us know your ideas to reduce plastic getting into the oceans on the Cumbernauld Living Landscape Facebook page. Imagine what we could all do together!