Fewer straws with your pop, urges MSP
The Highland MSP spearheading a campaign to ban plastic straws has called on Scotland’s music festivals to reduce single-use plastics at their events.
The intervention of Kate Forbes (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) follows HebCelt’s announcement last week that plastic products will no longer be used on site. As well as encourage revellers to use re-usable water bottles, they will supply free biodegradable paper cups – plastic straws were banned at HebCelt four years ago.
Ms Forbes, who is also a member of Holyrood’s Environment Committee, has written to the organisers of the main festivals such as Belladrum, Electric Fields and TRNSMT, and urged them to reduce plastic waste.
The anti-plastic campaigner said: "As a proud Highlander, it is great to see HebCelt leading the way in banning all single-use plastics at this year’s festival.
"The organisers have led the way previously as they banned plastic straws in 2014.
"I’ve no doubt that, like other people on the island, they see the impact of plastic waste along the coastline.
"There is no reason why other festivals shouldn’t follow suit. If HebCelt can do this, then I don’t see why other festivals can’t do it too.
"I have written to other major festivals across Scotland to ask them what they are doing to reduce the amount of plastic waste people at these festivals generate.
"I imagine that, like many people, festival-goers want to do their bit to reduce plastic waste also. I have cautioned all organisers that if they do ban plastic straws, then they need to make sure there are alternatives in place for disabled people."
