Burnham-On-Sea’s MP James Heappey has signed a pledge to ‘Pass On Plastic’ with Sky Ocean Rescue – a commitment to reduce single-use plastic consumption.
Mr Heappey will focus on reducing the amount of plastic bottles and plastic straws he uses on a day-to-day basis.
Having taken part in recent beach cleans on Burnham-On-Sea’s beach, Mr Heappey said he is “shocked” by the amount of plastic which is entering our oceans, and is washed up on Somerset’s beaches.
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 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.
Mr Heappey said: “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 five trillion pieces of plastic in the world’s oceans, with eight million tonnes more ending up there every year. The amount of plastic washed up on our beaches is a scandal and 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.”
