Isle of Arran Awarded Plastic Free Community Status

That the Parliament congratulates all involved with the Isle of Arran becoming the first in Scotland to be recognised as a Plastic Free Community by the national marine conservation charity, Surfers Against Sewage; understands that, in February 2018, the group, Think About Plastic – Arran (TAP-Arran), was formed to respond to growing concerns about single-use plastic and marine litter; recognises that it brought together key organisations and business plans across the island to achieve Surfers Against Sewage’s five-point plastic-free plan, by setting up a community-led steering group, getting support from North Ayrshire Council, signing up area businesses as allies, reaching out to community groups and individuals to spread the word and encouraging people to minimise the amount of disposable plastics that they use; understands that the campaign has been widely embraced by the people of Arran; believes that the tourism industry, which attracts 400,000 visitors to the island each year, has an important role to play in reducing plastic usage and that accommodation providers on Arran have committed to replacing single-use mineral water bottles with reusable ones, using soap and solid shampoo to replace mini-shower gel and shampoo bottles and providing guests with fresh milk to replace mini UHT pots, and wishes TAP-Arran success in continuing to expand its campaigning to inspire more businesses, residents and visitors to move away from the careless use of disposable plastic and to take pride in the island's beautiful, natural environment.