Notts County Council committed to reducing single use plastic

Nottinghamshire County Council continues to reduce its reliance on single use, disposable plastic across the organisation as developments are underway for a new Corporate Environment Strategy.  

In March 2018 Nottinghamshire County Council unanimously agreed to reduce its reliance on single use plastics (SUP). Over the past 17 months a number of changes have been implemented, particularly across Council catering outlets. 

The introduction of reusable coffee cups across Council building canteens has already resulted in a reduction in cup and lid usage of approximately 13,000 year on year. The reusable coffee cup scheme was incentivised for staff through introducing discounts for anyone using reusable cups rather than single use cups.

Biodegradable takeaway cartons, PET recyclable salad boxes and wooden stirrers for hot drinks have also been introduced across all Council sites. Furthermore, water machines within staff areas no longer have plastic cups available which will result in reducing the annual usage of plastic cups by 40,000. 

Nottinghamshire County Council is committed to continuing its reduction of SUP across its catering outlets, stating that all take away cutlery available in Council catering outlets will be biodegradable by the end of 2019.

Nottinghamshire County Council Chairman for the Communities and Place Committee, John Cottee said: “As a local authority we are committed to reducing single use plastic. We buy products and services locally and want to encourage our supply chain and other public bodies to make a similar commitment.

“The dangers of single use plastic to our environment, especially our oceans, is a global concern. But small changes can make a real difference. Our residents actively recycle single use plastics and we will continue to work closely with Veolia, our waste contractors, to try and maximise the amount of plastic and other materials which can be recycled in the county.

“We are currently developing a new Corporate Environment Strategy with the intention of setting a carbon neutral target date for Nottinghamshire County Council. This commitment will be integrated into our four-year plan ‘Your Nottinghamshire, Your Future’, with a strategy to be approved and implemented by Summer 2020.” 

Approximately 95% of all waste collected in the county is now diverted from landfill, with the majority or residual waste now sent for energy recovery. Veolia, Nottinghamshire County Council’s waste contractors, operate within strict legislative parameters and have full “Duty of Care” audit trails on all waste handled, ensuring that no plastic (or other waste) is released into the environment.

To find out more about recycling in your local area visit www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/recycling.