Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Call to cut single-use plastics to protect planet
The city council has vowed to play its part in helping slash the amount of single-use plastics.
It comes after the issue was thrust into the spotlight by Sir David Attenborough in his recent Blue Planet II series on the BBC.
Disturbing footage of the damage plastics are doing in the sea and waterways has sparked a national debate.
Now the city council has decided to do its bit to cut reliance on single-use plastics, such as disposable coffee cups, and encourage suppliers and other business to do the same.
It follows a notice of motion to the full council last Thursday put forward by councillors Terry Westgate and Brian Baker.
The Conservative pair regularly get involved in beach and riverbank clean-ups in the district and have seen plentiful evidence of discarded plastics first hand.
Cllr Westgate said a recent river clean had resulted in 300 plastic items being recovered.
And Cllr Baker even brought in a bag of examples of plastic rubbish he had collected from the foreshore, including bottles, bags and cotton ear buds.
“Some of this stuff can take 200 years to degrade,” he said, dumping it on the desk in front of members.
“There are now islands of accumulated rubbish in the world’s oceans that will outlive many generations.
“It has also been proved that fish are consuming ground down plastics, so it is already getting into in our food chain, quite apart from the effects caused by plastic containers used by the fast food industry.
“As a responsible local authority, we need to be taking a lead in regard to single-use plastics to safeguard our residents, set an example and educate residents. This has to start here and now, for the benefit of future generations.”
Tory councillor Louise Jones encouraged the council to get behind a bottle “refill” or deposit scheme but Lib Dem councillor Nick Eden-green said it needed national legislation, which the council should press for.
Conservative councillor Jenny Samper made her point by raising a china cup and saucer and insisting plastic cups were not needed in the council.
Labour councillor Alan Bald- ock said he wanted a specific target of a reduction by at least 25% which council leader Simon Cook said was a worthy aspiration.
The notice of motion read: “This council will work to reduce the usage of single-use plastics to the absolute minimum with the aim of eliminating such usage as
soon as is practicably possible, in order to lead by example. This council will also encourage business across the district to reduce their usage of such plastics.”
It has now been passed to the council’s communities committee for further investigation.
After the meeting, communi- ties committee chairman Cllr Neil Baker said: “Ultimately, we have to aim to be the first generation to leave the planet in a better state than we found it, and that can start at a very local level.
“Clearly we don’t have the power, as a council, to ban single-use plastics across the district but we can play our part and show there are alternatives available.
“We could write conditions into any events held on CCC land that single-use plastic isn’t used. Whether that can encourage some for a deposit scheme for such events, with reusable containers used, is worth looking at.
“The community committee will, I am sure, have the benefit of a detailed report with facts, figures and ideas in March. I deliberately requested the item goes to that meeting rather than the one on January 24 so that there is time for the matter to be given appropriate consideration.”