A statement issued in response to the government answer to the Ban Cheap Bodyboard Parliamentary Petition

Plastic Free North Devon, Plastic Free Torridge and Ocean Recover Project have read carefully and reflected at length the government response from Rebecca Pow to a parliamentary question asking the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help alleviate the environmental impact of (a) polystyrene bodyboards and (b) other disposable beach products, and the response from George Eustice MP to one of our local councils. Please read this statement here

We fully reject the UK Government's response to our petition and this question as it solely focuses on the clearing up of littered boards instead of measures to prevent such littering. It does not recognise the unique setting of UK beaches where holidaying or day visitors will often travel from far away bringing items from home for their stay. Furthermore, the response does not recognise the carbon footprint created by these items in their journey from their far eastern country of manufacture and disposal when discarded.

The campaign to Ban Cheap Polystyrene Bodyboards called on the UK Government to intervene and act as it has done with plastic straws, plastic drink stirrers and plastic stemmed cotton buds by recognizing how the sale of these items directly relates to the amount discarded and abandoned each year on UK beaches and understanding that a ban would ensure this would reduce the impact these boards have on our marine environment.

Both responses confirmed that the UK Government at this point is unwilling to intervene with their focus more on the Code of Practice On Litter and Refuse putting the onus of clearing up littered boards on local councils, beach managers and charities. .

The government encouragement of local solutions for local problems has proven to be ineffective. Despite a wide reaching and supported campaign throughout northern Devon, across all forms of media, including a self imposed ban supported by MP’s and councils in 4 of the main seaside villages plus a ban of their sale in all northern Devon Tesco stores,and promotion of more sustainable options including free hire, we have seen an increase in the amount of discarded cheap polystyrene bodyboards at Croyde beach alone, surpassing pre ban figures. Best efforts by local groups and businesses did not stop cheap polystyrene boards being purchased out of this area or online and used across northern Devon.

With this evidence giving us a stark reminder of the difficulty we all face encouraging behaviour change and being in the middle of a climate and ecological emergency, we believe a ban on these polystyrene boards is justified. Prevention is better than cure.

We believe a ban on these polystyrene boards is justified because prevention is better than cure. Despite best efforts by local groups and businesses, cheap polystyrene boards were purchased out of this area or online and used across northern Devon.

This year, the UK Government hosts COP26. It is claimed between 1990 and 2019 the UK economy grew by 78% whilst carbon emissions reduced by 44%. The carbon emissions from the manufacture and delivery of Cheap Polystyrene Bodyboards will not be reported as UK carbon emissions as these occur outside of the UK. And whilst the economic impact of banning these boards is negligible, their impact on our natural environment is considerable.

We are asking the UK Government to review their current position and introduce a ban on cheap polystyrene bodyboards before Summer 2022.