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.