Former Green Party Leader visits Bradford to discuss plastic waste

On Thursday (18th October) , Natalie Bennett will be speaking at a screening of “A Plastic Ocean” hosted by Bradford District Green Party.

The film documents the way in which plastic waste is causing catastrophic damage to the world’s oceans. Using the latest science they prove how plastics, once they enter the oceans, break up into small particles that enter the food chain.

Natalie Bennett has been critical of current government policy and will be discussing the types of action we need to deal with the plastic problem.

She said: “Many people are taking action to cut down their consumption of plastic – whether that is carrying a reusable water bottle and a coffee cup, trying to reject packaging when they can -- but as an individual it is extraordinarily hard to exclude single-use plastic from your life.

“It is time for action and the government needs to take notice. The Green Party is calling for a ban on all unnecessary single-use plastic – which means nearly all of it on our high streets. This is the kind of radical action we need.

Earlier this year, Environment Minister Michael Gove announced the government’s plan to reduce plastic waste including consulting on a scheme for cutting single use plastics and creating bottle return schemes.

This was followed by more than 40 companies including Morrisons, Coca-Cola and Unilever signing up to a voluntary scheme called the Plastic Pact.

They are pledging to eliminate single-use packaging items and to ensure 100 per cent of their plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable. But the Green Party says that these “piecemeal” changes do not go nearly far enough and has urged the Environment Secretary to listen to overwhelming public demands for tougher action on plastic waste.

The film screening will start at 7pm at Delius Arts & Culture at 29 Great Horton Road and will be followed by a Q&A session. Tickets cost £5 and are available online through eventbrite.co.uk or on the door.

Plastic hit the headlines last year after the BBC show Blue Planet II exposed the amount of waste that has entered our oceans and the impact it is having on marine ecosystems across the globe.

The event will be co-hosted with Refill Bradford District campaign which has been set up to encourage local businesses - such as bars, cafes and shops to sign up as "Refill stations" so members of the public can quench their first by filling up their water bottle free of charge.