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The Sunday Mail today launches a campaign to make Scotland the first plastic straw-free country in Europe.

We are calling on fast food chains, pubs, clubs, restaurants and retailers to swap millions of plastic straws for paper-based alternatives.

By the end of 2018, at least half the country’s hospitality and catering firms should be able to make the switch.

We are also calling on Holyrood to eventually introduce a ban north of the Border.

Plastic straws feature on drinks cartons sold in supermarkets all around the country.

But while they have an average useful lifespan of just 20 minutes, it can take up to 500 years for them to decompose.

Environmentalists estimate that we use – then throw away – in excess of one billion straws every year.

Environmentalists claim many end up in the sea and on beaches, where they can suffocate, choke or starve birds and marine life and blight our landscapes.

Last year, Costa Rica became the first country to agree to ban all single-use plastics.

(Image: Getty)

And here, politicians including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, environmentalists and pub trade bosses have all backed our campaign.

Sturgeon insisted the Scottish Government are committed to tackling the threat plastic straws pose to the environment.

She said: “Sir David Attenborough deserves huge credit for his work to highlight the scourge of plastics in our seas – as does the Sunday Mail for picking up the challenge with this campaign. Scotland has more than 10 per cent of Europe’s coastline so we have a particular responsibility to act.

“This week, we became the first part of the UK to announce plans to ban plastic-stemmed cotton buds – one of the items which most often wash up on our beautiful beaches.

“Of course, plastic straws are just one of a vast range of single-use products.

“That’s why we’re setting up a team of experts to provide advice on the action we can take to reduce our reliance on these environmentally ­damaging items.”

Greenpeace oceans campaigner Louise Edge said: “We’re fully behind the Sunday Mail campaign to ban plastic straws.

“They are among the worst examples of the unnecessary throwaway plastic threatening our oceans, and can do real harm to marine life. Something we use for just a few minutes should not be polluting our seas for centuries.

“In most cases, we can simply do without straws – and whenever they’re genuinely needed, there are good alternatives made of paper or metal.

“With a little effort and ingenuity, we may get to the final straw faster than we think and rid our oceans of this needless scourge for good.”

Businesses in Ullapool, Ross-shire, made the village the first place in Britain to introduce a voluntary ban on plastic straws. The move followed campaigning work by local children, backed by pupils from a school in Glasgow’s east end who have also been looking at ways to eradicate their use.

Now we want to follow the brilliant example set in Ullapool in cities, towns and villages across the country.

Local MSP Kate Forbes has called on ministers to ban single-use plastic straws in Scotland.

(Image: PETER JOLLY NORTHPIX)

She said: “My preferred option is for the UK Government to ban plastic straws, because our waters don’t respect borders and are going to wash up waste from elsewhere in the UK.

“If that doesn’t happen, I would like the Scottish Government to consider, as part of their expert panel on single-use plastics, whether a levy would work in reducing plastic straws.

“By the summer, I would like to see the majority of the big chains and retailers banning plastic straws.

“Over the next few weeks, I will be contacting private and public organisations and asking them to commit to stop stocking plastic straws.

“The UK Government published their 25-year environment plan last week and I don’t see any tangible steps to reducing the number of plastic straws.

“I imagine an outright plan is not imminent unless public pressure continues to grow, which is where the Sunday Mail’s campaign is invaluable.”

Catherine Gemmell, of the Marine Conservation Society Scotland, said: “With Kate Forbes taking the issue to Parliament and the Sunday Mail taking it to the public, it begs the question, ‘If Ullapool can go plastic straw-free, why can’t Scotland?’”

Scotland’s pub industry has vowed to champion moves to eradicate plastic straws from bars and clubs. Bosses plan to meet in Edinburgh this week to discuss introducing paper versions.

Paul Waterson, chief executive of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, said: “We’ll be discussing and debating this issue at our executive meeting.

“We view this as an issue of importance.

“People say, for example, that a straw is an important part of a cocktail. But there are other types of straws – so there’s a discussion to be had. We’ll be discussing the issue with members from across Scotland.

“The trade is moving forward and takes its responsibility towards the environment very seriously.”

Pub chain Wetherspoon binned the use of plastic straws at their 900 pubs in Britain – including 70 in Scotland – last week.

The company estimate they were using more than five million plastic straws in Scottish outlets each year.

Spokesman Eddie Gershon said: “We have stopped using plastic straws in our pubs across Scotland and replaced them with biodegradable versions.

“Our staff used to put straws in drinks, whether customers requested them or not. Now customers will only get a straw if they request one.

“We’re proud of our decision.”

Ewan MacDonald-Russell, head of policy at the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: “We fully recognise the issue around plastic straws.

“Retail is among the most climate-conscious industries and retailers have taken a lead in reducing the impact of their own operations and supporting improvements right along the supply chain and with customers.”

McDonald’s – whose Scottish customers go through around 150,000 plastic straws each day – said they were exploring the use of alternatives.

The company have around 1200 UK outlets, with around 100 in Scotland, and estimate they use around 1.8million straws a day.

A spokesman said: “Since 2015, recycling units have been installed in over 1000 of our UK restaurants, enabling customers and employees to easily separate packaging for recycling.

“This includes our straws, which are made from recyclable plastic.

“We have previously trialled biodegradable paper straws and we are continuing to explore various options which will reduce straw consumption and work for our customers and restaurants as well as the environment.”