Last week I read, with shock, at a recent report that showed that tiny plastic particles were being ingested by people while drinking bottled water.

While the exact health repercussions on humans are not yet known, this news comes after many of us now know that microbeads (used in shower gels, shampoos, and washing products) are commonly found in fish.

I also know that many people were inspired by David Attenborough’s Blue Planet series last year to think about the future of our oceans. I know lots of constituents emailed me to ask me to sign the Blue Belt Charter, which I did.

If we do not act now, the world’s oceans will be nothing more than a floating rubbish bin. We are destroying our planet. My daughter is 8; it's not fair on the next generation.

We must do better at ensuring there is less plastic being used in day-to-day objects and, for the material used, that it is all recycled.

Supermarkets need to do better at cutting wasteful amounts of plastic on their products. Do we really need plastic wrapped around a banana or a swede?

When plastic products are purchased and used at home, there is another challenge.

At the moment, every local authority has a different policy on recycling. A resident in Rossendale will have different ways to recycle at home compared to someone in Hyndburn.

At the moment, there is a gap between the best local authority sending 65% of all household waste to recycling and the worst which only sends 14%.

This needs to change. We need a national recycling strategy that would mean consistency all over the country.

It is good to know that a local businessman, Andy Holt, who owns and runs Wham Plastics on Altham Business Park is trying to stop huge amount of plastic waste clogging up our seas. This plastic is some of the most contaminated material that many would believe is unrecyclable.

I visited the site and saw the work being done myself. It is impressive and needs to be recognised more widely.

The Government needs to get behind this industry. It is a rare opportunity for the UK to get ahead in an emerging green industry and make a considerable effort to stop plastic waste.

Cutting plastic use and waste is key to preserving our planet. Time is of the essence as the longer we leave it, the harder it will be to save it.