County approves reduction of single use plastics

Plans for Denbighshire County Council to significantly reduce its use of single-use plastics have been approved.

The full council agreed proposals drawn up by a cross-party task and finish group of councillors to reduce the use of plastics within council offices, following a Notice of Motion last year.

Plans include the following within the council’s office buildings - no longer providing plastic water cups and single use paper/plastic cups for hot drinks and the removal of water coolers, automated hot drink machines and vending machines.

A campaign will also be launched to encourage everyone who comes to the three main council offices to bring their own cup.

The cross-party group will now undertake further work with a view to draw up proposals to reduce the council’s use of plastic in school catering and procurement and the work will be linked to the Council’s wider work within the Climate Change and Ecological Emergency response.

Cllr Brian Jones, Lead Member for Waste, Transport and the Environment, said: “I’d like to thank the members of the cross-party group for their hard work in coming up with these proposals.

“Protecting the environment is a priority for the council under its Corporate Plan and this project focuses on reducing the amount of single-use plastic within Council offices as well as showing leadership within the wider community.

“These actions will benefit the environment by reducing and avoiding the use of plastics in Council offices, as an example by just ending the provision of plastic cups at water coolers will see 140,000 fewer cups being used over the next ten years.”