Today I signed a pledge to #PassOnPlastic with Sky Ocean Rescue – a commitment to reduce single-use plastic consumption. An important example of how plastic can damage the environment can be seen locally at Widewater Lagoon, where the swans are being affected by the excess plastic litter being thrown into the lagoon.
Launched in January 2017, Sky Ocean Rescue aims to shine a spotlight on the issues of ocean health, particularly single-use plastic, and inspire people to make small changes. The #PassOnPlastic pledge was also signed by 113 MPs, all making a public commitment to reduce their consumption of single-use plastics.
Sky Ocean Rescue’s whale, Plasticus, which is made up of a quarter of a ton of plastic – the amount that enters our oceans every second - arrived outside Parliament to bring to life the scale of the problem.
Sky have been working hard to raise awareness of ocean health and I am delighted to join their campaign and look at ways to reduce my own plastic consumption. It is deeply worrying that there are 5 trillion pieces of plastic in the world’s oceans, with 8 million tonnes more ending up there every year. We all have a role to play in protecting our oceans – that’s why I have signed my pledge to #PassOnPlastic and encourage others to do the same.
Find out more about Sky Ocean Rescue on social media @SkyOceanRescue and on the Sky Ocean Rescue website: skyoceanrescue.com.
You can find out the actions we are taking in government to protect our marine life and oceans here.