Plans to reduce plastic pollution out for consultation

Proposals to reduce plastic pollution through a ban on the manufacture and sale of plastic-stemmed cotton buds in Scotland have opened for public consultation.

Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham encouraged individuals and organisations with an interest in environmental protection to respond to the consultation, which details the issue and asks if the proposal is supported and considers commercial implications.

She said: “This proposal is part of a range of Scottish Government measures to help tackle the scourge of plastics polluting our marine environment and littering our streets.

“In addition to our National Litter and Marine Litter strategies we are introducing a deposit return scheme to recycle more drinks containers, committing £500,000 to help address marine litter sinks and establishing an expert panel to advise us on our work to reduce our reliance on single use items.”