NHS using 14m disposable cups
Concerns were expressed after it was revealed NHS Forth Valley has purchased more than 14 million single-use cups in the last five years.
A Freedom of Information request revealed £126,434 worth of single-use plastic cups have been bought by the health board since 2014.
The figures amount to the purchasing of almost 8,000 disposable cups each day.
Local authorities across Scotland, including Stirling Council, last year pledged to review their usage of single use plastics.
Mid-Scotland and Fife Tory MSP Dean Lockhart is urging NHS Forth Valley to follow suit and explore environmentally-friendly alternatives.
He added: “These figures are incredibly concerning and the health board must do more to explore what more it can do to cut down on plastic waste.
“Families across Scotland are consistently being encouraged to change their daily habits so it is only right that organisations such as the NHS should do the same.
“As ever with the SNP Government, it talks a good game on reducing singleuse plastic but this never matches with reality.
“Under its control, health boards are buying a disposable cup every single second, costing the taxpayer hundreds of thousands of pounds and damaging the environment in the process.
And he added:“Instead, the nationalists have lectured others about cutting down on plastic use while having no intention of doing so themselves.”
A spokesperson for NHS Forth Valley commented: “Single-use plastic cups are available through the NHS National Procurement Contract.
“At present, there is no alternative however National Procurement are investigating the possibility of introducing cups which can be recycled.”