Issue - meetings

Tackling Single Use Plastics

Meeting: 25/06/2019 - Council (Item 21)

Tackling Single Use Plastics

Councillor Eden to move:

This Council notes:

·         Worldwide, roughly 300 million tons of plastic is manufactured each year and half of it is disposable and ends up in our rivers and in the sea.

·         In England, re-usable plastic products including an estimated 4.7bn plastic straws, 316m plastic stirrers and 1.8bn plastic-stemmed cotton buds are used each year.

·         The oceans are expected to contain one tonne of plastic for every three tonnes of fish by 2025, and by 2050, more plastics than fish by weight according to the Ellen McArthur Foundation.

·         Plastics in the environment can release toxic chemical as they decompose which pose a danger to marine life and, through the food chain, ultimately humans.

·         The Government has announced a plan to control sale of a small number of single-use plastic products from April 2020 but not all avoidable single-use plastics. Environmental groups including the Marine Conservation Society and the Campaign to Protect Rural England have called for the government to do more.

·         Some single-use plastic products are essential for providing care and support or to enable groups such as older people, people with disabilities and autistic people to live their daily lives.

This Council welcomes:

·         Our waste management partnership RE3’s introduction last year of recycling plastic trays, pots and tubs in addition to plastic bottles.

·         The announcement that Reading Festival will be free of single-use plastics by 2021.

·         Community initiatives like Refill Reading which aims to reduce the number of disposable coffee cups going to landfill by encouraging people in our town to use reusable cups in cafes.

This Council resolves to:

·         Ensure that, wherever possible, single use plastic is eliminated from use within the Council as soon as this can be achieved.

·         Wherever possible, phase out the purchase and procurement of single-use plastic products through services commissioned by the Council as soon as it is practicable.

·         Bring reports to future meetings of the appropriate committees that describes the Council’s plans to eliminate single-use plastic from the organisation, including a timetable for doing so.

·         To actively work with Reading’s businesses, community groups and residents to share advice, ideas and best practice to help them transition from single-use plastic products to sustainable alternatives.

·         Work with schools to support the aspiration of Reading’s young people to eliminate plastic waste from our environment.

  • Seek to work with neighbouring authorities through RE3 and other links to tackle single use plastic use across the wider Berkshire area.

Minutes:

Pursuant to Notice, the following motion was moved by Councillor Eden and seconded by Councillor Davies and CARRIED:

 

Resolved –

This Council notes:

·                Worldwide, roughly 300 million tons of plastic is manufactured each year and half of it is disposable and ends up in our rivers and in the sea.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21