Watch: Protesters Hang From Iconic Forth Bridge To Block Gas Tanker For 24 Hours

In a dramatic protest against plastic pollution, Greenpeace activists stopped a large INEOS gas tanker from reaching the Grangemouth petrochemical plant by hanging from ropes under the Forth Road Bridge in Scotland for 24 hours.

Ten Greenpeace climbers from different countries abseiled from the bridge’s service walkway and positioned themselves 25 metres above the River Forth on July 25. They aimed to block the INDEPENDENCE, a tanker carrying 27,500 cubic metres of ethane gas from the U.S., which was headed to Grangemouth to be used in the production of virgin plastic.

The climbers unfurled six large banners that read “PLASTICS TREATY NOW” as they blocked the main shipping route. According to Greenpeace, the team was supported throughout by trained rescue crews on the bridge and boats in the river below to ensure safety.

This protest was timed ahead of an international meeting scheduled to take place in Geneva from August 5 to 14. World governments will gather for the final round of negotiations on a Global Plastics Treaty.

Greenpeace is calling for countries to agree on a legally binding cut of at least 75% in global plastic production by 2040. The organisation also wants fossil fuel companies and major plastic producers like INEOS to be excluded from the treaty talks.

Greenpeace accused INEOS, the UK’s biggest plastic producer, of trying to weaken the treaty. They said the company, owned by billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has sent lobbyists to past meetings to block agreements that would limit plastic production. The group claimed these lobbyists used pressure tactics including harassment and intimidation.

INEOS’s Grangemouth facility produces 30 to 35 billion nurdles, tiny plastic pellets, every day. That’s enough to make around 60 million plastic bottles daily. Every month, thousands of tonnes of gas are shipped into the plant and converted into nurdles, which are then distributed globally.

Greenpeace argues that companies like INEOS are standing in the way of real solutions to plastic pollution. They say less than 10% of the world’s plastic is currently recycled, and even by 2060, that number is only expected to reach 17%, while plastic production is expected to triple.

activists — Image Credits: Greenpeace UK/LinkedIn

Amy Cameron, Programme Director at Greenpeace UK, said the protest successfully called out INEOS for continuing its efforts to increase plastic production. She described the company’s claims that recycling and waste management can solve the problem as unrealistic, comparing them to past industry excuses like saying smoking was safe or that carbon offsetting can fix climate change. She added that the only real solution is to stop plastic production at the source.

Greenpeace also criticised INEOS for cutting jobs at Grangemouth while spending billions to build a new plastics plant in Belgium. The group said that if Jim Ratcliffe cared about Scottish workers, he would invest in helping them shift to jobs in clean energy instead of putting money into Formula 1 racing and football clubs.

The protest ended on the morning of July 26 when the climbers began descending their ropes. Greenpeace support boats helped them reach land safely at Port Edgar in South Queensferry. Police Scotland arrested all ten climbers on suspicion of Culpable and Reckless Conduct.

Greenpeace said the protest was safe and well-prepared. The climbers had trained for weeks and were constantly monitored by rescue teams. The Forth Road Bridge, which mainly carries buses, bicycles, and pedestrians, was not directly closed by the activists. Police Scotland made the decision to shut it down for safety.

Reference: Greenpeace

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