On 15th August the final stage of international negotiations failed to reach an agreement to create a landmark global treaty to end plastic pollution. Petrostates refused to endorse the draft treaty because it addressed plastic production, which they considered to be...
What you can do to reduce marine litter
Sleat marine litter weekend: rain, chat…and a little hope
By Dan Milner Sleat Nature Groups’s marine litter weekend (26-27 July) went with a bang despite the inclement weather! Joining the group this time for their quarterly marine litter survey of Ostaig beach on the Saturday, were Dr Tom Stanton and his team from...
The microplastics scourge, and how technology and international action can help
Microplastics are everywhere on Earth, from the depths of the Mariana Trench to the summit of Everest, in the air, the water, in plants, animals and our bodies. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation says soils contain more microplastic pollution than the oceans...
Plastic Free July – simple swaps
Skye beach cleans update
by Peggy Semler May was a busy month for us, with the weekend of 9-11 May turning out to be the biggest beach cleaning event we have ever organised on the island – the Bracadale Beach Blitz! With the help of many volunteers and partner organisations, and especially...
Global action on plastics : petition
According to Greepeace only 17% of the UK's plastic waste is recycled: the rest is burned, dumped abroad, or sent to landfill. Globally only 9% of all plastics produced are actually being recycled, and in fact only 21% of all plastic is economically recyclable, (i.e....
World Refill Day, 16th June
From Monday 16 June to Friday 20 June you can take part in the #5DAYCHALLENGE to reduce single-use waste. Choose a new swap each day or stick with one that works for you – whether it’s refilling your coffee cup, reusing containers for takeaways, or shopping...
Bracadale Beach Blitz
by Peggy Semler From 9 - 11 May, a successful collaborative effort took place to remove marine litter and debris from seven beaches around Loch Bracadale. Volunteers, along with partner organisations, focused on cleaning remote and inaccessible areas along the...
Does Skye need a Plastic Action group?
by Anne MacLennan Plastic is a problem and there is a lot of it about. Invented (as Bakelite) in 1907, production had reached 2.3m tons annually by 1950, 448 tons in 2015, and is set to at least double by mid-century. The plastic lifecycle aggravates climate change...