Plastics@Bay, established in 2017, is entirely dedicated to tackling the clearly evident problems of plastic pollution that accumulates in the bays of the north-west highlands.  Combining their respective talents & skills, Joan D’Arcy & Julien Moreau, work together to collect plastic from the bays around Durness &, at the same time, scientifically assess the scale of plastic pollution in their area to identify & pilot innovative ways to reuse & recycle the plastic collected.  By recycling the plastic into new products, they prevent it re-entering the ocean (where it is a hazard for marine life) or breaking down in the environment causing additional pollution in the form of particles which can absorb toxins before being ingested by animals & thus entering the food chain.  This grant will cover the costs of employing a beach ranger for six months.  Having a dedicated beach ranger will also free up Joan & Julien to develop their plans for turning the collected ocean waste into practical products, such as plastic fence posts, using ‘open source’ machinery & processes so that, once proven, the knowledge can be shared with other coastal communities facing the same ocean plastic waste challenges because of prevailing currents, geographic location, & so on.