Latest news with #LauraYoung
The Herald Scotland
7 days ago
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
'New cotton bud'. Call to ban single-use plastic flossers
A group of 20 organisations, including campaigns, charities and businesses, has issued the letter urging the Scottish Government to ban them. Flossers join a long list of personal hygiene and other products that have littered Scotland's coastlines, including not only cotton buds, but wipes, plastic cutlery, sanitary towels, pharmaceutical blister packs, Covid masks, interdental brushes and straws. Some, like cotton buds and straws, have been banned. But others continue to make their way into waterways, landfill and sewage systems, contributing to the rising deluge of global plastic pollution that is showing no signs of slowing. The call comes in the run up to the final round of talks for the UN global plastics treaty, which is looking at how to tackle both plastic waste and plastic at source. This new form of waste is just one element in the rising tide of pollution driven by production levels are set to triple by 2060. 'The dental flosser may be a small, innocuous-looking item,' the letter observes, 'but single use dental flossers are being sold in multi-packs by most supermarkets and pharmacies, and they are littering our streets, parks and beaches. We have collated photo evidence of these items across Scotland, from the pristine beach of the island of Colonsay, to the city streets of Edinburgh and Glasgow, to the east coast by St Abbs." A move like this, the authors point out, would align with the [[Scottish Government]]'s forthcoming Circular Economy Strategy, which has targets to reduce plastic production and waste, as well as the New Plastics [[Economy]] Global Commitment, which the [[Scottish Government]] signed in 2018. A dental flosser found on the Isle of Colonsay (Image: Rachael Revesz) Concerned signatories include campaigner and social media influencer Laura Young, also known as 'Less Waste Laura', who led the campaign against disposable electric vapes and Don MacNeish, a founder of the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST), one of the voices in David Attenborough's recent Ocean documentary. Some of the signatories are clean up groups who have noticed the rise in dental flossers in litter picks. Marion Montgomery of Paws on Plastic said: 'They are something that our members find regularly on walks, in parks, on streets. Not only are they an example of unnecessary single use plastic but they also pose a potential risk to animals and an environmental hazard for generations.' Waste from Arrochar litter sink (Image: The GRAB Trust) Beach cleaners from Scottish Coastal Clean Up observed that the flossers tended to be found "wherever we find wipes". The letter points out that while dental flossers, also called, 'dental harps', 'may be more accessible for some people to maintain dental hygiene', there are alternative products. Even so-called 'eco flossers', it notes, are problematic since they are made from 'equally harmful bioplastics'. 'We urge policy makers to turn the tide against our throw-away culture by banning the sale of an item that is barely used for a few seconds before it spends decades, if not centuries, in landfill," the letter said. In recent years Scotland has banned plastic straws, drink stirrers and polystyrene food containers. "We've charged a fee on plastic bags," says the letter, "and we've banned single use vapes. These have been bold moves, and they've had a remarkable impact. READ MORE: Scottish scientists discover new threat to marine life: sunscreen meeting plastic 'The beach crunched': Scotland's extreme beach cleans Less than 10% of plastic produced globally comes from recycled materials – study The problem, Ms Young pointed out, is that the flosser is just one of many single-use items contributing to wider plastic pollution, with ever more new items entering the market. 'Plastic dental flossers are yet another example of unnecessary single-use waste polluting our environment. I've seen them in towns and cities, littering streets and clogging gutters, and on our beaches, alongside other toiletry-related waste like plastic cotton buds, tampon applicators, and wet wipes.' Progress, she noted, has already been made on some items, with bans like plastic cotton buds and straws. 'But the rest? Still polluting our environment and wasting resources.' "It's frustrating that we continue to act only after these plastics become a visible problem. We need upstream solutions, not piecemeal bans. The United Nations Global Plastics Treaty meeting this month is a chance for us collectively to go beyond voluntary pledges and weak commitments. We need binding global action that holds corporations accountable, enforces plastic reduction targets, and redesigns the systems driving overconsumption. "Individuals can choose better, businesses must do better, and governments must act faster and smarter. The planet can't wait." Kat Jones, director of Action to Protect Rural Scotland, said that the ban would be a "start" but that laws are needed "to encourage and incentivise producers make responsible products." "Producers are constantly inventing new types of throw-away item while persuading us that we can't live without them. The one-use flosser is an absolute prime example. "Until producers can turn their skills in innovation and technical knowhow to the service of sustainability, rather than thinking of the next throw-away gimmick, we are always going to be battling waste, litter and the pollution of our seas item by item." Personal hygiene litter collected by beach clean artist Lil Vischer (Image: Vicky Allan) The letter is also not the only one to be issued as the UN Global Plastic Treaty talks begin in Geneva, calling for action and commitment from the Scottish Government. Another open letter to the first minister, from 18 groups including Friends of the Earth Scotland and Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, has outline the damage created by plastic, and called for the Scottish Government to act now to prevent further harm. Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner for Friends of the Earth Scotland said: 'We all want a future free from plastic pollution, but the Scottish Government is failing to take the actions needed to protect people and nature from the growing harms of the plastics crisis. "Promises at an international level will only be meaningful if they are backed up with action at a local level. Industry-backed solutions, such as recycling, do not address the underlying cause of the plastics crisis – that there is too much plastic to begin with and more is being made every day. 'It doesn't have to be this way. The Global Plastics Treaty is an incredible opportunity internationally, and a chance for the Scottish Government to reset the way plastics are used in Scotland too. 'There are practical steps the Scottish Government should be taking today to halt the plastics crisis. These include immediately banning the burning of plastic waste, forcing companies to be responsible for cleaning the products they sell, and investing in reuse services.' A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Scotland was the first part of the UK to implement a ban on some of the most problematic single-use plastic products and we continue to work with our partners to reduce many sources of plastic pollution as possible and also to support the removal of rubbish from our seas and coastline. 'In addition, the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 increases the powers available to the Government to take action on waste in Scotland, and we are also progressing with international efforts to address major pollution sources such as plastic pellets, as well as supporting the removal of rubbish from our seas and beaches.'
The Herald Scotland
02-08-2025
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
'New cotton bud'. Plastic hygiene product should be banned
A group of 20 organisations, including campaigns, charities and businesses, has issued the letter urging the Scottish Government to ban them. Flossers join a long list of personal hygiene and other products that have littered Scotland's coastlines, including not only cotton buds, but wipes, plastic cutlery, sanitary towels, pharmaceutical blister packs, Covid masks, interdental brushes and straws. Some, like cotton buds and straws, have been banned. But others continue to make their way into waterways, landfill and sewage systems, contributing to the rising deluge of global plastic pollution that is showing no signs of slowing. The call comes in the run up to the final round of talks for the UN global plastics treaty, which is looking at how to tackle both plastic waste and plastic at source. This new form of waste is just one element in the rising tide of pollution driven by production levels are set to triple by 2060. 'The dental flosser may be a small, innocuous-looking item,' the letter observes, 'but single use dental flossers are being sold in multi-packs by most supermarkets and pharmacies, and they are littering our streets, parks and beaches. We have collated photo evidence of these items across Scotland, from the pristine beach of the island of Colonsay, to the city streets of Edinburgh and Glasgow, to the east coast by St Abbs." A move like this, the authors point out, would align with the [[Scottish Government]]'s forthcoming Circular Economy Strategy, which has targets to reduce plastic production and waste, as well as the New Plastics [[Economy]] Global Commitment, which the [[Scottish Government]] signed in 2018. A dental flosser found on the Isle of Colonsay (Image: Rachael Revesz) Concerned signatories include campaigner and social media influencer Laura Young, also known as 'Less Waste Laura', who led the campaign against disposable electric vapes and Don MacNeish, a founder of the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST), one of the voices in David Attenborough's recent Ocean documentary. Some of the signatories are clean up groups who have noticed the rise in dental flossers in litter picks. Marion Montgomery of Paws on Plastic said: 'They are something that our members find regularly on walks, in parks, on streets. Not only are they an example of unnecessary single use plastic but they also pose a potential risk to animals and an environmental hazard for generations.' Waste from Arrochar litter sink (Image: The GRAB Trust) Beach cleaners from Scottish Coastal Clean Up observed that the flossers tended to be found "wherever we find wipes". The letter points out that while dental flossers, also called, 'dental harps', 'may be more accessible for some people to maintain dental hygiene', there are alternative products. Even so-called 'eco flossers', it notes, are problematic since they are made from 'equally harmful bioplastics'. 'We urge policy makers to turn the tide against our throw-away culture by banning the sale of an item that is barely used for a few seconds before it spends decades, if not centuries, in landfill," the letter said. In recent years Scotland has banned plastic straws, drink stirrers and polystyrene food containers. "We've charged a fee on plastic bags," says the letter, "and we've banned single use vapes. These have been bold moves, and they've had a remarkable impact. READ MORE: Scottish scientists discover new threat to marine life: sunscreen meeting plastic 'The beach crunched': Scotland's extreme beach cleans Less than 10% of plastic produced globally comes from recycled materials – study The problem, Ms Young pointed out, is that the flosser is just one of many single-use items contributing to wider plastic pollution, with ever more new items entering the market. 'Plastic dental flossers are yet another example of unnecessary single-use waste polluting our environment. I've seen them in towns and cities, littering streets and clogging gutters, and on our beaches, alongside other toiletry-related waste like plastic cotton buds, tampon applicators, and wet wipes.' Progress, she noted, has already been made on some items, with bans like plastic cotton buds and straws. 'But the rest? Still polluting our environment and wasting resources.' "It's frustrating that we continue to act only after these plastics become a visible problem. We need upstream solutions, not piecemeal bans. The United Nations Global Plastics Treaty meeting this month is a chance for us collectively to go beyond voluntary pledges and weak commitments. We need binding global action that holds corporations accountable, enforces plastic reduction targets, and redesigns the systems driving overconsumption. "Individuals can choose better, businesses must do better, and governments must act faster and smarter. The planet can't wait." Kat Jones, director of Action to Protect Rural Scotland, said that the ban would be a "start" but that laws are needed "to encourage and incentivise producers make responsible products." "Producers are constantly inventing new types of throw-away item while persuading us that we can't live without them. The one-use flosser is an absolute prime example. "Until producers can turn their skills in innovation and technical knowhow to the service of sustainability, rather than thinking of the next throw-away gimmick, we are always going to be battling waste, litter and the pollution of our seas item by item." Personal hygiene litter collected by beach clean artist Lil Vischer (Image: Vicky Allan) The letter is also not the only one to be issued as the UN Global Plastic Treaty talks begin in Geneva, calling for action and commitment from the Scottish Government. Another open letter to the first minister, from 18 groups including Friends of the Earth Scotland and Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, has outline the damage created by plastic, and called for the Scottish Government to act now to prevent further harm. Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner for Friends of the Earth Scotland said: 'We all want a future free from plastic pollution, but the Scottish Government is failing to take the actions needed to protect people and nature from the growing harms of the plastics crisis. "Promises at an international level will only be meaningful if they are backed up with action at a local level. Industry-backed solutions, such as recycling, do not address the underlying cause of the plastics crisis – that there is too much plastic to begin with and more is being made every day. 'It doesn't have to be this way. The Global Plastics Treaty is an incredible opportunity internationally, and a chance for the Scottish Government to reset the way plastics are used in Scotland too. 'There are practical steps the Scottish Government should be taking today to halt the plastics crisis. These include immediately banning the burning of plastic waste, forcing companies to be responsible for cleaning the products they sell, and investing in reuse services.' A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Scotland was the first part of the UK to implement a ban on some of the most problematic single-use plastic products and we continue to work with our partners to reduce many sources of plastic pollution as possible and also to support the removal of rubbish from our seas and coastline. 'In addition, the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 increases the powers available to the Government to take action on waste in Scotland, and we are also progressing with international efforts to address major pollution sources such as plastic pellets, as well as supporting the removal of rubbish from our seas and beaches.'
The Herald Scotland
23-06-2025
- General
- The Herald Scotland
'Wee' Scottish isle used to launch anti-plastic drive
Acclaimed photographer Mandy Baker and 'climate influencer' Laura Young, known as 'Less Waste Laura', were among 36 volunteers who visited the island, which is home to Scotland's second oldest lighthouse. Meanwhile, the inaugural Project One Wave autumn summit is scheduled to take place in Glasgow in October. Seashell Clothing and the Captain Paul Watson Foundation are two of the groups behind the campaign, which aims to clean up Scotland's oceans - before it's too late. David Brown, co-owner at Seashell Clothing said: 'We have started a movement here in Project One Wave that is gathering real momentum, as the willingness and sheer want to get involved in this project by a rapidly growing number of individuals, organisations and businesses alike is hugely encouraging and it is giving us the perfect platform to explore ideas together, whilst amplifying a positive message of collective ongoing efforts to tackle marine pollution here in the UK.' Rob Read, Chief Operating Officer of the Captain Paul Watson Foundation UK, also said: 'This should be a top priority. In the west of Scotland alone, local fishing boats lose over 600 tonnes of gear every year, nets, ropes and lines that become deadly traps. If we don't act now, by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.''
The Courier
09-06-2025
- Health
- The Courier
Dundee Raac homes unable to withstand extreme weather, warns climate activist
A Dundee climate activist has warned that Raac homes will be unable to withstand the effects of extreme and worsening weather conditions. Laura Young, an environmental scientist, says addressing the issue should be a 'top priority' for governments with houses in general struggling to hold up to climate change. 'We are getting wetter and wilder winters in Scotland,' said the PHD student at both Dundee and Abertay universities. 'If we are trying to make places more resilient to bad weather and climate change then addressing things like Raac concrete is absolutely crucial. 'It should be a top priority. 'I don't think there is enough attention around the fact our houses cannot withstand extreme weather already, never mind if you have Raac concrete.' The ethical influencer, known as Less Waste Laura, told The Courier that her own research has discovered those in power tend to focus solely on flooding when it comes to improving climate resilience. However, a far higher number of homes are affected by other longer-term issues that have a huge affect on mental wellbeing. 'The majority of people are not impacted by extreme flooding, more people are affected by leaking roofs, damp, and mould,' explains Laura. 'That is definitely something that is overlooked at every single level of government. 'That what's impacting more people. 'And if you've got Raac then that's even more of a worry as that's exacerbating a problem. 'Issues like leaking roofs, damp and mould – because they are chronic rather than acute – actually has long-term significant impacts on people's wellbeing and mental health.' The Courier is asking people to sign this petition and help give affected homeowners a voice. The climate scientist used her own experience of a flat she lived in on Perth Road during Strom Babet to explain. Laura's flat did not contain Raac but water poured in through the ceiling during the deluge. 'Every time it rained I was panicking – is my roof going to collapse,' said Laura. 'I had so much anxiety thinking is my living room ceiling going to come in again. 'I can't imagine on top of that thinking there was some structurally unsound concrete above my head. 'Every single time it rains are you thinking – is that getting into the Raac concrete that is going to crumble and actually make my house unsafe. 'That is a whole extra level.' The climate activist believes there are socio-economic and environmental benefits to the government stepping in and helping Raac homeowners. They could utilise the crisis as a chance to improve affected homes to help reach climate targets and help with heating bills. 'This is a brilliant opportunity to be retrofitting all sorts of other sustainability measures in these homes to make them more energy efficient,' said Laura. 'This is an opportunity to address multiple issues.'
BBC News
01-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
The influencer whose tweet led to a ban on disposable vapes
There are not many times when a single social media post can trigger a snowball effect which leads to a significant change in the social media influencer Laura Young's actions did exactly that when she started noticing a litter problem while walking her dog in Dundee.'Less waste Laura' - as she calls herself online - said she was "sick of litter picking" disposable vapes and wanted to campaign against years on and her campaign has led to a UK-wide ban now coming into force. Laura realised her message had struck a chord when a TikTok video she created was viewed 10.5 million led to a prominent newspaper campaign and then calls from government officials requesting meetings with told BBC Scotland News: "If you look up disposable vapes, (mine) is the first (tweet) that comes up."Within five weeks it had made the headlines and of course everyone was showing where these vapes were." The year after Laura first raised the issue, the Scottish government commissioned an urgent report into the impact of single use vapes on the environment and on young revealed that 2.7 million vapes had been littered on Scotland's streets in a single year - about 10%t of the total report also found that 22% of all under-18s - about 78,000 people - were using vapes. But it was the environmental impact which concerned Laura the said: "They begin to fall apart. They get broken, they get damaged and the metal can pop tyres so it's a really big problem." In the same year that Laura first launched her campaign, it emerged that a fire which destroyed a recycling facility in Aberdeen had "most likely" been caused by a discarded devices contain lithium-ion batteries which, when damaged, can spontaneously blaze took just 10 seconds to take hold and the entire facility has had to be Scottish ban was first proposed in February 2024 and was due to be introduced last UK and Welsh governments then confirmed they would follow suit and the Scottish ban was delayed by two months to bring them all into line. Retailers have been increasingly providing recycling bins in shops so the devices can be disposed of Laura says she's probably collected thousands of littered vapes over the last few adds: "It's was fantastic to know that throughout the campaign we were really building up momentum. We had lots of councils support a ban, we had the Scottish government putting out reports and then, of course, we had the commitment to a says she's incredibly proud of what's been achieved but adds that the campaigning has also raised the issue of other disposable technologies and how damaging that is for the not sure what campaign she might start next but admits that she's received a very long list of suggestions from family and friends.
