Queen’s plastic-free palace
Queen Elizabeth has been inspired by Sir David Attenborough to join the campaign to reduce use of plastic, banning straws and bottles from the royal estates. Buckingham Palace outlined new waste plans and said there was a “strong desire to tackle the issue” at the highest levels of the royal household.
It is thought that the Queen became personally interested in the problem of plastic after working with Attenborough on a documentary. The pair, both 91, discussed plans to create a network of national forested parks across the 52 countries of the Commonwealth. The new measures include gradually phasing out plastic straws in public cafes and banning them altogether in staff dining rooms.
“Across the organisation, the royal household is committed to reducing its environmental impact,” said a Palace spokesman. “As part of that, we have taken a number of practical steps to cut back on the use of plastics. At all levels, there’s a strong desire to tackle this issue.”
Each year, more than 270 tonnes of plastic is produced globally, and 10 per cent will end up in the sea. It is estimated that there is a 1:2 ratio of plastic to plankton and, left unchecked, plastic will outweigh fish by 2050.
Attenborough also made the case against plastic in Blue Planet II.
Julian Kirby, of Friends of the Earth, said: “Blue Planet’s reach now extends to the royal households, which shows how much momentum is building behind the war on plastic pollution.
“From smallholdings to Sandringham, everyone is sick of this problem and wants it fixed. Ultimate responsibility remains with manufacturers and government to stop this senseless harm to our environment, with its resultant devastation of wildlife.”