The UK Parliament Has Made a Landmark Decision to Go Plastic-Free
It's introducing a levy on disposable coffee cups and moving to ban all single-use plastic bottles.
Supermarkets, big name brands and well-known food chains the world over are making moves to ditch the plastic and opt for a more eco-friendly existence. And now the British Parliament is jumping on board as well, announcing it's set out to become the world's first plastic-free parliament.
The authorities have revealed plans to trial a 'latte levy' of 25 pence on any takeaway coffee cups, and then to then introduce a total ban on all plastic water bottles. Parliament authorities will kick off the ban next month, and, eventually, it plans to scrap disposable coffee cups completely, purchasing only compostable alternatives.
From coffee cups and straws to plastic bags and water bottles - Parliament has announced measures to drastically reduce single-use plastics in @HouseofCommons & @UKHouseofLords. Find out more at: https://t.co/GVasOezu43 pic.twitter.com/kbwZAJKjvz
— UK Parliament (@UKParliament) May 15, 2018
It's thought the move could slash the parliament's annual waste by more than 125,000 single-use plastic bottles and countless coffee cups. Plus, shops on the estate will also phase out single-use plastic bags as well as condiment sachets in a effort to "drastically reduce its consumption of single-use plastics by 2019".
"We all have a responsibility in this, so it's time to really start to think about the steps everyone can take to reduce their plastic use," The House of Lords' Lord Laming told The Independent. "I hope that the measures parliament will implement over the next 12 months will inspire other organisations and people to make changes in their everyday lives."
This moves comes after UK Prime Minister Theresa May announced a 25-year plan to phase out single-use plastics across Britain earlier this year. So far, most states (including Queensland and Victoria) and major Australian supermarkets have committed to ditched plastic bags, and Hobart even plans to ban all plastic containers, but the Federal Government has shot down the likelihood of a national ban. Let's hope this news also inspires some changes in our own parliament.
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