IT IS a shame to hear plastic bottles were handed out at Worthing Pride earlier this month.

Worthing Borough Council is one of a number to declare a climate emergency, meaning it should be taking its commitments to the environment seriously.

Whether or not the decision lay with the council or the event organisers, decisions like these should be scrutinised and their environmental impact assessed to ensure they are in keeping with council commitments.

Though some plastic bottles are recyclable, reducing use of plastics is far better for the environment as it ensures plastics do not have an impact in the first place.

There are so many alternatives to handing out plastic bottles, including encouraging partygoers to bring their own bottles and use water refill stations.

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If huge festivals such as Glastonbury can be plastic-free, then smaller events such as Worthing Pride can do it too.

Especially seeing as Pride takes place so close to Worthing beach, it is quite unbelievable plastics would be allowed there.

Dogs have been banned from certain parts of the beach and seagulls have been scared away by eagles, both in a bid to improve water quality, but it seems plastics are not a concern.

This is despite the known damage they cause to the many creatures inhabiting our seas.

Plastics certainly are not the be all and end all of improving our environmental impact, but it is still a good start, especially when we have 11 years to save the world according to the UN.

Let us hope next year the same thing does not happen again. We must all act quickly to make sure our planet is saved.