Aberdeen City Council to phase out all single use plastics
10 September 2018
Members of Aberdeen City Council today (Monday 10 September) agreed to commit to going further than the Final Straw campaign, by phasing out the use of all single use plastics in Council-owned properties.
The Council fully backs the Final Straw campaign and has instructed all Council services and Arm’s Length External Organisations (ALEOs) to cease using plastic straws wherever this is practicably possible, recognising the needs of people with disabilities who require a fully flexible drinking straw to consume liquids.
The committee noted the progress made by services to reduce straws and other single use plastics to date and instructed the Head of Commercial and Procurement Services to continue working with Scotland Excel, and the supply chain to source products, which either require no drinking straw or with bio-degradable drinking straws where they are necessary.
Before the meeting began elected members had the opportunity to speak to pupils from Airyhall School and Hanover Street School, who had come along to the Town House, to explain why they believed the City Council should fully support the Final Straw campaign.
Elected members were also told that the Council’s school catering service had received several communications from pupils who raised their concerns about the use of single use plastics because of the harm these are having on marine life.
Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Councillor Jenny Laing said: “It is clear that single use plastics have a detrimental impact on the environment, and greater awareness of the issue means we are all looking at ways to reduce their usage. Citizens, of all ages, but particularly our young people, expect the Council to commit to reduce, if not stop entirely the use of these types of plastics.
“I hope that the commitment shown by Aberdeen City Council to phase out the use of all single use plastics in Council-owned properties, where practicable, is seen an example to other organisations to follow suit.”
Following the Council’s decision, the pupils from Airyhall School and Hanover Street School were pleased that plastic straws will no longer be used by the council as it will help the environment and all the animals.
In late 2017, the BBC screened the Blue Planet 2, which focused on the ecological damage which is being caused to the planet from plastics, which were finding their way into watercourses and ultimately polluting our beaches, seas and oceans highlighting the impact that this issue is having on our marine life.
The Council responded to calls as part of a national campaign and the report before Council today was requested by elected members in March 2018, which instructed the Head of Commercial and Procurement Services to conduct an audit of all Council Services, ALEOs in so far as the Council’s contractual and governance relationships with its ALEOs will allow it to do so, to ascertain the extend of the use of single use plastic.
The Commercial and Procurement Service was also instructed to work with Scotland Excel and the supply chain to source products which either require no drinking straw or with bio-degradable drinking straws where they are necessary.