New strategy to reduce plastic waste in Devon

Following a plea from schoolchildren, Devon County Council will phase out its use of the most polluting single-use plastic products within two years.

Members of the Council’s Cabinet voted unanimously on Wednesday morning to support the move, which is part of a new action plan to help cut the amount of single-use plastic waste in Devon.

The ‘Plastics Strategy’ outlines how various single-use plastic food and beverage packaging and tableware (such as cutlery and cups) will be removed from Council work locations by 2020.

The strategy, which is the first of its kind for a county council, has received support from marine conservation charity Surfers Against Sewage ‘Plastic Free Coastlines’ campaign.

The action was inspired by a plea from two children from Georgeham C of E Primary School who gave a presentation to Devon’s Cabinet in December calling on councillors to do everything they could to cut plastic in the environment.

The North Devon primary school was the first school in the UK to achieve the Surfers Against Sewage Plastic Free Schools status.

The school has swapped cling film for foil in the school canteen, sauce sachets have been replaced with larger sauce bottles with pumps, milk, previously provided daily to each Reception class pupil in a small non-recyclable carton with a plastic straw and wrapper, is now delivered to the school in two-litre recyclable bottles and served in washable beakers, individually packaged ice-creams have been replaced with Arctic Roll and the supplier of fruit and vegetables now takes back the plastic packaging for recycling.

Head Teacher for Georgeham CofE Primary School, Julian Thomas, said: “Our school is thrilled that Devon County Council is moving forwards so rapidly with this issue.  The children are very aware of plastic pollution in our global community; they experience it far too often and they showed great confidence in wanting to do something about it.  It’s good to know that the children’s ambitions for looking after the environment are heard and taken seriously.

“We think that that the new action plan is a great strategy to reduce and further remove single-use plastics and the children will be inspired to do similar actions in the future… which is what we all want.”