Bid to cut single-use plastics

FIFE Council and its cultural and leisure trusts are taking action to cut down on single-use plastics.

The local authority, ONFife Cultural Trust and Fife Sports and Leisure Trust have joined forces for the Cut it Out campaign.

It aims to minimise the use of plastic from buildings and activities, even if the item can be recycled afterwards.

The council and the sports and leisure trust are cutting single use plastic cups and most cable ties, while ONFife is phasing out single-use plastic cups, switching to recyclable ones and cutting most cable ties later in the year.

Before the start of the campaign, 150,000 plastic cups and 18,000 plastic straws were used by the council every year.

The hope now is that the drive will eliminate the 1.46 million items of plastic cutlery used each year.

SNP councillor Ross Vettraino, convener of the environment and protective services committee, said: “We are now more aware than ever of the impact plastics have on our environment.

“Fife Council is committed to leading by example to reduce its own use of single-use plastics.

“The council is pleased its partners, employees and customers are joining with it on the journey to eliminate them and is urging other organisations in Fife to look at their own use of plastics and identify what they, too, can cut out.”

The project is being managed by Resource Efficient Solutions, another Fife Council arms-length company.