I have given up something for Lent every year since I was a child. I started off with great sacrifices such as sweets or chocolate and gradually progressed to wine or gin, but this year I am doing something a little different by giving up single use plastics. The BBC’s Blue Planet programme shocked many of us by highlighting the previously unseen effects of the amount of plastic we use and what happens to it afterwards. There are an estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic waste that end up in our oceans every year according to the United Nations Environment Protection Programme. So, myself and several other Conservative MPs are attempting to give up those plastic items we use once and throw away...… Obviously, we still use phones, laptops and plastic products we need, but we are doing our best to limit items such as plastic bottles, coffee cups, carrier bags and cutlery to name a few. It is also a great opportunity to learn more about which plastics are recyclable and which are destined to be dumped.
Chichester District Council are driving change locally with recycling education sessions and the ‘against litter campaign’. Our beaches in Selsey and the Witterings also suffer from washed up plastics and clean ups are a regular feature and I plan to join one soon.
There is always more that we can do and significant steps are being made in Modbury in Devon, for example, which is the first plastic bag free town in the UK. Other communities are going further by banning plastic bottles on coastal stretches, as 49% of beach litter is single-use plastics! There are some changes our communities could make such as take away shops cutting down on plastics and even excess napkins.
More generally the Government have put environmental protections at the top of their agenda, bringing forward a 25-year plan to reach key goals we all want to see such as cleaner air, enhancing biodiversity and mitigating the effects of climate change. It is important that we maintain high standards as we leave the EU and the Government will take this opportunity to continually improve our environment.
During Lent, I hope to learn more about the effects we are having on the planet, but also how our everyday decisions can make a difference. Even buying meat at the butchers and fruit and veg at the greengrocers can have an impact, or using a reusable coffee cup and carrying a bag for life… little steps from each of us would make a big difference over time.
This week I have also stepped down from Chichester District Council. I have loved serving the people of Rogate as their district councillor and will of course continue to work for everyone in the area as the Member of Parliament. When I started as a new councillor over three and a half years ago I knew very little about how local government works. It has been a steep learning curve but not only did I learn a lot but I have built great working relationships which very much help me in my role as an MP.
I regularly hold surgeries and public meetings across the constituency so get in touch with the office at [email protected] if you need a surgery appointment. There will be a public meeting at Selsey Town Hall on 23rd February at 7.30pm for anybody who wants to come along and ask a question.
