Thread by @marinescotland

Today’s theme for #ScotClimateWeek is #Waste.
Plastics which end up in the sea 🌊are a wasted resource. By encouraging reuse, and improving recycling of plastic as part of a strong circular economy, we make better use of this valuable material🗑️🌍
@GreenerScotland @ScotGovClimate

Plastics in the sea damage our marine environment 🐟🐟🐟, which brings us a range of social and economic benefits, and on which we rely for temperature regulation and carbon storage, as well as food.
#GreatBritishBeachClean #STOPThePlasticTide #MorayFirthPartnership

A litter sink is an area where marine litter accumulates due to a combination of wind direction, tidal motion 🌊🌊and the spin of the earth🌍. The litter comes from a range of sources and impacts on local communities who find themselves clearing up other people’s rubbish!🗑️🚮

@marinescotland is using the #Arrochar litter sink, at the head of Loch Long, as a case study to monitor waste influx and support community led litter picks 🗑️and surveys. The results of the monitoring and surveys help to inform research and policy development for #MarineLitter

In May 2018 we led a clean-up of the Arrochar shoreline resulting in 185 tonnes of seaweed, mixed with small plastic debris, being mechanically removed from the shore. We repeated this exercise in 2019 and in 2020: removing 220 tonnes and 217 tonnes respectively👍👍

To help address marine litter sinks we provided funding to start the @SCRAPbook_Scot project, using volunteer pilots from charity Skywatch to take aerial coastline pics to identify litter hotspots. This info was used to direct clean-up operations to where they are needed most 🗑️