PASS on Plastics

What is PASS on Plastics?

The PASS on Plastics campaign is led by the Sustainability Partnership of Lanacster district and was inspired by the work of Rebecca Hosking and her film Hawai'i: Message in the Waves.

The PASS on Plastics campaign aims to reduce plastic pollution in Lancaster district by advising residents on how to easily reduce their plastic consumption and help to clean local beaches. In addition, PASS on Plastics provides information on the damage caused by plastic litter both on the land and in the seas.

Lancaster City Council has passed a motion which agrees to actively support PASS on Plastics and have also developed a Declaration on Plastic Pollution of the Marine Environment, from the Report of the Pollution in Morecambe Bay Task Group (July 2007). These documents can be downloaded at the right of this page.

How do I get involved with PASS on Plastics?

As well as reducing your personal plastic use (as detailed below) you can also join the Sustainability Partnership to take an active role in PASS on Plastics. Please visit the Sustainability Partnership pages for details.

You can also visit the PASS on Plastics stall throughout Lancaster district (see local press or this website for details of upcoming locations) or get involved in the wide variety of beach cleans organised by the Morecambe Bay Partnership. For more information on when and where the beach cleans take place, please visit www.morecambebay.org.uk or contact Susannah Bleakley.

How can I reduce my plastic use?

PASS on Plastics believes firmly in the 4 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle

Our focus is to ask people to reduce their use of plastics. Although reusing, repairing and recycling items are very important they mean that plastics will remain in regular use. If we can reduce the plastics we buy, gradually the amount of plastics being produced will decrease.

So please change the way you shop and reduce your plastic use!

Here are some hints to help you:

1. Be a Conscious Consumer: Buy glass and wood alternatives to plastic and look for items with little or no plastic packaging

2. Sustainable Snacking: Bring lunch in a thermos and tin with greaseproof paper in place of cling-film

3. Play Without Plastics: Wooden toys (FSC Certified) last longer, are more robust than plastics and are easily recycled

4. Cook Happy: Glass and stainless steel storage plus pyrex bowls and FSC wood utensils mean plastics can be avoided

5. Plastic Ain’t My Bag: Remember to keep cloth bags with you when you shop and use paper bags for your fruit and veg

And remember, get lots of use out of the plastics you already have, then pass them to friends or charity shops for reuse. Always recycle where possible.

Why plastics?

Plastics are marketed for limited use and are considered ‘disposable’. However, plastics never bio-degrade so it is important to remember that every plastic item ever created, including bottles, toothbrushes, lighters and plastic bags, is still present on the planet. Even when plastics are broken down into small particles these toxic 'micro-plastics' are often ingested by marine animals and then make their way into our food chain.

PASS on Plastics are working on banning plastic bags from Lancaster district but we recognise that they are not the main culprit. This is why the PASS on Plastics campaign is focusing on the importance of reducing your plastic consumption and providing information on the pollution and harm caused by all plastics.

As well as polluting, discarded plastic rubbish is also unsightly. Plastic bottles and other ‘disposable’ items can always be found in our local streets, in Lancaster canal and along the canal towpath, in Morecambe Bay and alongside the Lune - isn't it time we did something about it?

Join our campaign and help Lancaster district PASS on Plastics!