MARC TIERNEY, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Carmarthenshire West & South Pembrokeshire, joined members of Plastic Free Laugharne last week, as they held an open evening in celebration of the campaign’s first birthday.
The event at the town’s Memorial Hall coincided with the award of Plastic Free Community status by the marine conservation charity, Surfer’s Against Sewage.
The campaign group has held regular litter pick events around the town and at Ginst Point, where so much plastic has been collected, Chair Annie Hart has used her creative skills to sculpt ‘Sandy’ a life-sized figure made up of a variety of plastics which has been washed up from the sea – including a green garden chair!
Registering with the SAS Plastic Free Communities movement, the group pulled together key organisations in the town to put in place a five-point plan. The objectives include: setting up a community-led steering group, getting the Town and County Council’s support, organising local events and working with businesses, the local primary school, and community groups and organisations to spread the word and minimise the amount of throw-away plastics they use.
Marc Tierney for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire said: “I’m a long-time supporter of plastic-free communities and after attending the launch last year, I was pleased to see the efforts those involved have made to make this project like others across Wales a growing success.
“Receiving the SAS award is a real honour for all those involved and for Laugharne more widely, as we all wake up to the devastating impacts of plastic waste in our seas and oceans.”
Said Glynis Sampney, of Plastic Free Laugharne “We’ve been really pleased with the support we’ve had in the township for the campaign against single-use plastic. We’re the first community in Carmarthenshire to achieve the SAS award. It’s been great to get that recognition of the work that everyone is doing here to change our throwaway habits but we know this is early days for the campaign, there’s so much more we can all do to protect our environment from plastic waste.”
Rachel Yates, SAS Plastic Free Communities Project Officer, said: “It’s great to see the work that Laugharne has done to reduce the availability of avoidable plastics, raise awareness and encourage people to refill and reuse.
“We have over five hundred communities across the UK working to reduce single-use plastic and the impact it has on our environment. Every step those communities and the individuals in them take is a step towards tackling the problem at source, challenging our throwaway culture and encouraging the habit and system changes we need to see.”
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