An environmental group from Stonehaven has received huge international support in its bid to clean up on plastic.
More than 15,000 dog owners have joined the ranks of the Paws on Plastic campaign.
The group of dog owners pledge to pick up a couple of pieces of litter on every walk, every day, removing over 22 million pieces of litter a year from our streets, beaches, parks and countryside.
Founded in November 2018 by primary school teacher Marion Montgomery, Paws on Plastic has hit a cord among dog owners keen to play their part in fighting plastic pollution, attracting 2,400 new members and followers to its group on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Marion said: ‘We’ve had an unbelievable start to the year. January has been hectic, welcoming so many new members. It just shows the real desire among dog owners to protect wildlife and our precious environment from harm.
‘As awareness of the horrendous impact of plastic pollution grows, more and more people are looking for ways to combat it. Paws on Plastic gives dog owners a simple action they can take which makes a huge difference.
‘We are all busy nowadays and it’s often hard to find the time for things. The beauty of Paws on Plastic is that no extra time or effort is required as it only takes a minute to pick up a couple of pieces of litter as part of your everyday dog walking routine.
‘I would like to say a huge thank you to my family, friends and all our members for all their efforts. The strength of Paws on Plastic is its simplicity. Dog owners are already out there walking their dogs every day. We see the litter.
‘We have a spare bag in our pocket and it just takes a second to pick up a couple of pieces. No extra time or effort is required yet if we all do our own wee bit, with 15,000 of us, just picking up two pieces of litter on two daily walks, that’s over 60,000 pieces a day, or nearly 22 million a year, although most people pick up more as it is rather addictive! With around 9 million dogs in the UK alone, imagine the impact if we all did our own small bit.”
The group has now spread to over 60 countries in six continents around the world, showing the worldwide desire among dog owners to do play their part.
The instructions are simple: Members pick items up using a spare ‘poo bag’ and take it home to empty (recycling where possible) saving the bag to use again. They then post a lovely photo of their dog on to celebrate their efforts and spread the word.
To find our more, visit Paws on Plastic on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/pg/pawsonplastic/posts/
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