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The Scouts of Menorca are adding to those who have signed an agreement not to use single use plastics such as plastic table ware at fiestas and other celebrations they may have.

The campaign initiated by GOB between public organizations, aims to eliminate single use plastics for fiestas and celebrations organised by entities and associations in all the island.

These festivity materials (plates, drinking vessels and cutlery), with limited useful life, constitute a huge waste problem because they are not biodegradable. Many of these plastics end up in the sea where they break up into thousands of little pieces which both confuse and are ingested by marine creatures.

To combat this problem, work is being done to change the habits of consumption of easily expendable plastics which can be substituted by more sustainable products. Where ever possible, it is better to use products that can be reused and if this is not possible, then biodegradable alternatives can be found.

As a result of the agreement made by various associations including the Menorca Preservation Fund, the Marilles Foundation, the Sunseeker Company and the Blue Marine Foundation, GOB will provide biodegradable table ware to those associations who pledge to make a change at their fiestas. This is about using cellulose products made from the vegetable part of sugarcane not used for making sugar, and also from cardboard, wood and maize starch.

The Scouts of Menorca have decided to be included in this initiative. We encourage associations who organise fiestas to add to the campaign against expendable waste so that by 2020 there will be hardly anyone in Menorca who uses short term plastic commodities causing long environmental problems.