Words by Ruth Carruthers
Originally a Huck Magazine blog June 2009
Surfers Against Sewage celebrates campaign victory on World Environment Day.
It’s not every day you get to dress up as a mermaid and kiss the President of the British Plastics Federation(BPF). But Friday June 5 was a special day, not only because it was World Environment Day, but also becauseSurfers Against Sewage (SAS) were celebrating a campaign victory, with the release of the British Plastic Federation’s (BPF) Operation Clean Sweep (OCS) guidance manual, that will help reduce the number of mermaids tears making there way onto our beaches.
I was one of the lucky ‘mermaids’ that joined the SAS campaigners at the BPF headquarters in London on June 5, where Paul Jukes, the President of the BPF, presented us with the OCS document.
Paul Jukes, BPF President says: “The BPF is delighted to link up with SAS in this way – neither of us wants plastic to end up in our seas, beaches, or anywhere else it shouldn’t be, and this is not restricted to just the pellets. Plastic has brought incredible benefits to all our lives, but it should be handled correctly at all times. This applies to manufacturers, hauliers, users, and indeed the general public too – we must all play our part, and this joint initiative between SAS & the BPF is most welcome.”
You might not realise it, but mermaid’s tears are one of the most common types of litter found on UK beaches. They are the raw material used in the manufacture of plastic products, and look a bit like fish eggs, which poses a problem for animals that mistake them for food.
What’s more, this is a total waste of raw material, and by letting these little bits of plastic escape into our waterways, the BPF are latterly washing money down the drain.
Andy Cummins, SAS Campaign Manager says:“Although mermaid’s tears themselves are small, they represent a big problem on our beaches. This new guidance is a great victory for SAS and can help the plastics industry protect the environment and become more financially efficient. Everyone’s a winner!”
What the OCS document means that mermaid’s tears are less likely to escape from plastic factories, and those that do escape will be trapped and reused.
The BPF represent 80% of British plastic manufacturers, so this is their chance to set a good example, and hope that the rest of the plastics industry follow suit.
