Agenda item

To endorse the actions undertaken and proposed in order to eliminate single-use plastics from the Council’s operations and to consider the extracts from the Government Waste Strategy in relation to single-use plastics.

14.1          The report of the Head of Finance and Asset Management, circulated at Pages No. 137-144, provided Members with an update on the elimination of single-use plastics following the motion to Council in July 2018.  Members were asked to endorse the actions taken, and proposed, in order to eliminate single-use plastics from the Council’s operations and to consider the extracts from the Government Waste Strategy in relation to single-use plastics.

14.2          Members were advised that, in July 2018, the Council had approved that all single-use plastics within buildings and facilities managed by the Council be eliminated by 2020 and efforts be made to encourage the elimination of single-use plastics within the Council’s supply chain by 2025; and that the work of the Gloucestershire Joint Waste Partnership in promoting the reduction of single-use plastics across the County be supported and any opportunities to lobby central government be taken through the partnership.  There was no accepted definition of single-use plastics, and no common set of products, but Officers had looked far and wide to those used by environmental groups, the European Union and the government to come up with a list of commonly accepted examples, set out at Page No. 139, Paragraph 2.3 of the report.  The Council’s progress in eliminating single-use plastics from the Council building was detailed at Page No. 140, Paragraph 3.4 of the report, and it was noted that most had been replaced or removed.  Particular reference was made to plastic water bottles, which were currently sold in vending machines, and it was noted that the vending machines would be removed by the end of the month.  All disposable drinking cups and lids had been replaced with cardboard or compostable alternatives and plastic drinks stirrers had been phased out and replaced by wooden stirrers.  Whilst the Council did not supply plastic cutlery, refreshments were provided at some meetings and Officers were working with suppliers to provide alternatives.  Plastic milk cartons were currently still being provided but consideration was being given to alternative provision for supply of tea and coffee.  Whilst the Council used little in the way of plastic bags, the ones it did use, for food waste etc. were biodegradable, with very few black bin bags being used – with regard to the latter, it was noted that the industry was moving very quickly and an alternative bio-based plastic was being produced which the Council would look to bring in over time.  Whilst the Council had no direct power over its tenants in this respect, it was able to encourage and support them to adopt its policies and a number of tenants already had their own policies, for instance, Gloucestershire County Council was much further advanced and Places for People also had a policy in place.  It was noted that the Council’s Procurement Strategy was being updated to ensure it was appropriately worded so as to eradicate single-use plastic from the supply chain. 

14.3           Members were reminded that reduction of single-use plastic was an international issue and Pages No. 141-143 of the report set out the salient points from the government’s strategy for tackling waste and environmental issues ‘Our Waste, Our Resources’, published in December 2018, which included banning the most problematic plastics, introducing a deposit return scheme for single-use drinks containers and removing consumer single-use plastics from its estate by 2020.  At the end of May 2019, the government had announced a series of controls on single-use plastics to meet its pledges covering plastic straws, cotton buds etc. which demonstrated that national policy was overtaking the Council’s own efforts and would ensure that single-use plastics were effectively eradicated from use in the near future.

14.4           A Member questioned what action the Council would be taking going forward and the Head of Finance and Asset Management provided assurance that Officers recognised this to be an ongoing issue and would continue to review and eliminate single-use plastics from the Council Offices building.  He was mindful of national and international environmental policy and advised that electric charging points was the next item that would be considered by the Council.  The Member agreed it was important to look more broadly at environmental issues and he questioned what Tewkesbury Borough Council’s position was in relation to the requirement to be carbon-neutral by 2050.  The Head of Finance and Asset Management indicated that this was an emerging issue and would be significant for the Council going forward; there was currently no expertise or capacity for this within the Council but it would need to be considered at some stage.

14.5          It was

RESOLVED          1. That the actions taken and proposed in order to eliminate single-use plastics from the Council’s operations be ENDORSED.

2. That the extracts from the Government Waste Strategy in relation to single-use plastics be NOTED.