John Swinney faces plastic pollution plea as world leaders close in on landmark treaty

Plastic pollution on Portobello beach.
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Green campaigners are urging John Swinney to do more to tackle the blight of plastic pollution. The First Minister was warned he must step up action at home after a decade of nearly static recycling rates - and no fines issued since a 2022 single-use plastics ban on items like straws, cutlery and polystyrene containers.

It comes amid UN talks for a new global treaty to tackle the devastating plastics crisis which causes environmental carnage on land and sea. Last month, 28 groups including Friends of the Earth Scotland and the Marine Conservation Society wrote to Swinney asking him to show public support for the strongest possible version of the treaty - along with bolstering domestic action.

First Minister of Scotland John Swinney
First Minister of Scotland John Swinney

Some 2million plastic bottles are estimated to be sold in Scotland every single day. The Scottish Government has pledged to pass a new “circular economy” law to slash waste. All four UK nations will also ban polluting single-use plastic vapes next year after a two-year campaign by The Daily Record - with a date of June 1, 2025 set following Labour's general election win.

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Kim Pratt from Friends of the Earth Scotland said: “The Scottish Government needs to make good on its promise to tackle the plastics crisis. The First Minister recently confirmed the Scottish Government’s full support for the Global Plastics Treaty, but it is failing to take the necessary action to stop plastic pollution at home.

“The circular economy law will only be effective if it’s followed by action to fundamentally change the way we use materials. Measures that are in place today, such as recycling and selective product bans, have proven insufficient.”

World leaders pushing for a landmark agreement to curb plastic pollution have warned the planet will be “unable to cope” with the sheer scale of plastic waste within a decade if action isn’t taken. Swinney responded to the letter from green groups last month saying the Scottish Government “fully supports the Global Plastic Treaty” and that the circular economy legislation would “significantly increase reuse and recycling rates”.

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