Scottish Water #NatureCalls Campaign

That the Parliament commends Scottish Water on the launch of its #NatureCalls campaign, which is asking the people of Scotland to "bin the wipes" to protect Scotland’s natural environment; notes that the campaign also seeks to generate support for a "ban on wipes" made with plastic, which, it understands, cause the majority of the 36,000 blockages in drains that Scottish Water attends each year; understands that people can play their part by binning wipes made with plastic instead of flushing them, and can support calls for a ban on wipes containing plastic by signing jointhewave.scot/ban; notes reports that disposable wipes are a common pollutant found in Scottish rivers and on beaches, and that, according to Great British Beach Clean 2021 data, Scotland had over three times as many disposable wipes littering beaches and rivers compared to the rest of the UK; commends actions by retailers who have already committed to stop selling wet wipes containing plastic; understands that some brands inaccurately market their single-use wipes as "biodegradable" and "flushable", which, it considers, is exacerbating the challenges highlighted by Scottish Water in its high-profile media and online campaign; thanks members of the public, community organisations and environmental campaigners for participating in clean-ups and for their activism; notes that a February 2022 YouGov survey found that 84% of people in Scotland would back a ban on wipes containing plastic, and that high profile supporters of the campaign include the Sunday Mail, Keep Scotland Beautiful, Marine Conservation Scotland, Zero Waste Scotland, Royal Zoological Society Scotland, WWF Scotland and Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park; agrees with the view that wipes containing plastic should be banned in Scotland at the earliest opportunity, and wishes everyone involved in the campaign every success.