PLASTIC-FREE STATUS FOR CHARLESTOWN, LIMEKILNS AND PATTIESMUIR

That this House congratulates the West Fife villages of Charlestown, Limekilns and Pattiesmuir on being awarded plastic-free status by marine conservation charity Surfers Against Sewage; applauds the group of villages on becoming the first official plastic-free mainland community in Scotland; notes that they join a network of like-minded communities across the UK who are spearheading efforts to reduce the use of disposable plastic in their local areas by achieving a number of objectives, including securing the backing of the local authority, setting up a dedicated steering group and encouraging local businesses, community groups and schools to remove single-use plastic from their operations; pays credit to the villagers including the schoolchildren of Charlestown, Limekilns and Pattiesmuir for their longstanding dedication to protecting their coastline with a regular programme of beach cleans; and wishes the Charlestown, Limekilns and Pattiesmuir Nature Conservation Group, who led the efforts to achieve plastic-free status, continued success in their bid to make these villages as environmentally-friendly as possible.