Campaigner hopes to open eyes to ‘plastic blindness’

Published On Mon 1 Apr 2019 by Jonathan Watson

Public apathy towards plastic pollution threatens to irretrievably harm the world’s oceans, the head of an environmental charity has said.

Jo Ruxton, co-founder of Plastic Oceans UK, will be discussing her organisation’s continuing efforts to clean up the world’s waters when she speaks at the University of Dundee’s Saturday Series on 13 April.

Claiming that reactionary efforts to tackle plastic pollution are outdated, the former BBC producer believes that education is critical to changing the global approach to plastic consumption.

She said, “We must focus our efforts on education and prevention, ensuring that plastics never enter our oceans instead of attempting to develop ways of removing it once it’s already there.

“A wave of change is required for how we view and use plastics in our everyday lives, but it seems as though many people continue to experience blindness to plastics and are failing to alter their habits.

“Prevention, awareness, and education, all backed by scientific evidence, must be our way forward to ensuring that everybody on earth knows how to play their part in stopping our oceans from becoming dumping grounds.”

Plastic Oceans UK was co-founded by Jo ten years ago and has been using peer-reviewed research from leading scientists to support its aim of removing plastic from our waters. It is estimated that eight million tonnes of plastic waste are entering the oceans every year, polluting water, contaminating delicate ecosystems, and subsequently entering the food chain.

“Members of the public assume that the threat of plastic pollution comes from what they may be able to see, but that is not always the case,” added Jo.

“Plastics are broken down into small fragments over time, especially in sunlight and salt water, and it is these that present the biggest danger. Microplastic fragments are mixed in with the life-giving plankton that is the basis of the marine life food chain, and separating these is an impossible task. Much of the plastic also lies on the seafloor, making it incredibly hard to detect, let alone retrieve.

“This is a global problem and I hope my talk at the University of Dundee will encourage people to make changes that could help prevent this scourge from reaching our oceans.”

Jo is the final of this year’s guest speakers at the 2019 Saturday Series, the oldest continuous free series of public talks in Scotland. The event takes place on Saturday 13 April from 6-7pm in the Dalhousie Building, Old Hawkhill, and free tickets can be booked online.

The audience is advised that overflow theatres may be in use with the main theatre filled on a first come, first seated basis. The event will be followed by a drinks reception.

For media enquiries contact:
Jonathan Watson
Media Relations Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
Tel: +44 (0)1382 381489
Email: j.s.watson@dundee.ac.uk