Friday 31 August 2018

UK Scouts to inspire young people to tackle plastic pollution

A new initiative will see UK Scouts inspire and empower the younger generation to fight plastic pollution.

Through a new partnership, the government will create and distribute a new Plastics and Marine Environment Activity Pack to help them tackle the issue and slash the amount of single-use plastics in the oceans.

It will be supported by a new international exchange programme, allowing Scouts from the UK and Kenya to visit one another and learn how important the issue of plastics is globally.

The announcement was made by Prime Minister Theresa May during her visit to Africa this week, where she also pledged almost £40,000 for a new Girl Guides and Scouts Plastic Challenge Badge,

It is expected to help around 50,000 young people in Kenya and two other African countries to better understand the importance of reducing plastic use.

Tim Kidd, UK Chief Commissioner for the Scout Association said: "As Scouts, we’re committed to helping tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time. We have always had a strong connection to the environment and so taking action on plastic pollution is an obvious cause for our young people to champion. I’m proud of the role our young people will play in taking a stand against single use plastics."

The prime minister has also proposed to double the current plastic bag charge in the UK to 10p and extend it across all businesses.