The Isle of Arran in Scotland attracts over 400,000 visitors a year, and is often referred to as ‘Scotland in miniature’. Now it can also be referred to as Scotland’s first plastic-free community. The island received the Plastic Free Community accreditation from Surfers Against Sewage, an organization that helps communities transition to plastic-free living. Produce is sold without plastic, water comes in reusable water bottles, shampoo has been replaced with solid bars of soap, and other single-use plastics such as straws have been banned.
The island aspires to be plastic free by 2022 and credits their success to the formation of ‘Think About Plastic – Arran’ (TAP-Arran) in February 2018, an organization which encourages individuals and businesses to rethink their single use plastic consumption habits.
The island hopes other areas of the UK will follow their example and says, “Everybody can take simple and effective action to minimize usage of single use plastic items.”
