Community council backs plastic campaign

LERWICK Community Council has voiced its support for a campaign which wants to stop the selling and buying of single-use plastics in Shetland.

The matter was raised at its latest meeting on Monday as chairman Jim Anderson asked for views on how the community council can “encourage of the reduction in use of single-use plastics within Lerwick”.

Karen Fraser pointed to a popular campaign by North Isles councillor Ryan Thomson which encourages businesses to stop selling and using plastics like straws and cups in favour of biodegradable alternatives.

“We could maybe contact them to see where they have got to with Lerwick businesses,” she said.

“There’s a lot of goodwill that could be gotten out of this if they put their mind to it.”

Lerwick North councillor Malcolm Bell backed the suggestion.

Anderson raised whether water fountains where people could refill bottles would be something to look into, while he also suggested the community council could write to Shetland Islands Council to enquire about its position on single-use plastics in its buildings.

Averil Simpson said plastic packaging in supermarkets was a big issue and added that there is still “rubbish thrown everywhere” despite the efforts of anti-litter campaigns like Da Voar Redd Up.