Agenda item

Motion Submitted by the Green Party Group with the support of a Liberal Democrat Member - Reducing Single Use Plastic in Trafford

 

Council notes that, in the UK, one million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute. Across the country, only 40% of plastic waste is recycled domestically while eight million tons of plastic waste ends up in the world’s oceans each year. Here it endangers marine life and can enter the food chain where it is known to pose risks to human health.

 

Council believes that the reduction of single-use plastic would benefit health in Trafford and reduce waste.

 

Council therefore requests the Executive Member for the Environment, Air Quality and Climate Change to:

 

1.     Develop a robust strategy to ensure Trafford Council phases out single-use plastics (SUP) in its activities within the next two years.

2.     Work with partners and other large institutions to encourage them in developing similar strategies to reduce SUP.

3.     Inform the public of Trafford of the reasons for phasing out SUP and encourage them to switch to alternatives.

 

Council also agrees to:

 

1.     Incorporate the phasing out of SUP into Trafford Council's Sustainability Strategy.

2.     Refer all of the recommendations in this motion to Scrutiny Committee in order to advise the Executive on effective delivery.

3.     Ask the Executive Member for the Environment, Air Quality and Climate Change to write to the Environment Secretary, requesting that the reduction of SUP form part of any future national Waste Management Strategy.

Minutes:

(Note: With the consent of the meeting, Councillor Coggins altered the Motion of which she had given notice with the deletion of “, in the UK,” from the first sentence.  

 

It was moved and seconded that:

 

“Council notes that one million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute. Across the country, only 40% of plastic waste is recycled domestically while eight million tons of plastic waste ends up in the world’s oceans each year. Here it endangers marine life and can enter the food chain where it is known to pose risks to human health.

 

Council believes that the reduction of single-use plastic would benefit health in Trafford and reduce waste.

 

Council therefore requests the Executive Member for the Environment, Air Quality and Climate Change to:

 

1.     Develop a robust strategy to ensure Trafford Council phases out single-use plastics (SUP) in its activities within the next two years.

2.     Work with partners and other large institutions to encourage them in developing similar strategies to reduce SUP.

3.     Inform the public of Trafford of the reasons for phasing out SUP and encourage them to switch to alternatives.

 

Council also agrees to:

 

1.     Incorporate the phasing out of SUP into Trafford Council's Sustainability Strategy.

2.     Refer all of the recommendations in this motion to Scrutiny Committee in order to advise the Executive on effective delivery.

3.     Ask the Executive Member for the Environment, Air Quality and Climate Change to write to the Environment Secretary, requesting that the reduction of SUP form part of any future national Waste Management Strategy.”

 

It was moved and seconded as an amendment that:

 

        “Council notes that one million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute. Across the country, only 40% of plastic waste is recycled domestically while eight million tons of plastic waste ends up in the world’s oceans each year. Here it endangers marine life and can enter the food chain where it is known to pose risks to human health.

 

        Council believes that the reduction of single-use plastic would benefit health in Trafford and reduce waste.

 

        Council therefore requests the Executive Member for the Environment, Air Quality and Climate Change to:

 

1.     Develop a robust strategy to ensure Trafford Council phases out single-use plastics (SUP) in its activities within the next two years.

2.     Work with partners and other large institutions to encourage them in developing similar strategies to reduce SUP.

3.     Inform the public of Trafford of the reasons for phasing out SUP and encourage them to switch to alternatives.

 

Council also agrees to:

 

1.     Incorporate the phasing out of SUP into Trafford Council's Sustainability Strategy.

2.     Refer all of the recommendations in this motion to Scrutiny Committee in order to advise the Executive on effective delivery.

3.     Ask the Executive Member for the Environment, Air Quality and Climate Change to write to the Environment Secretary, requesting that the reduction of SUP form part of any future national Waste Management Strategy.

 

In line with proposals set out in this motion, Council will be pleased to note that the Executive Member for the Environment, Air Quality and Climate Change has already asked that single use plastic cups are no longer to be used for meetings in Trafford as a first step towards the complete elimination of single use plastics and that this measure is now in place. Furthermore, Council welcomes the work that the Leader of the Council has done with the Mayor in visiting a local school and agreeing to eliminate a number of single use plastics in council buildings at the request of some of our youngest residents.”

 

The Council signified its unanimous consent to the amendment before it was moved and seconded as a second amendment that a further Council commitment, set out as follows, be incorporated:

 

“4.    Commit the Council to explore the implementation of reusable cups to officers and members to show leadership on this important issue.”

 

Following speeches in support of the matter, the second amendment was agreed with the unanimous consent of the Council and the substantive Motion was then subsequently declared carried.

 

RESOLVED: That Council notes that one million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute. Across the country, only 40% of plastic waste is recycled domestically while eight million tons of plastic waste ends up in the world’s oceans each year. Here it endangers marine life and can enter the food chain where it is known to pose risks to human health.

 

Council believes that the reduction of single-use plastic would benefit health in Trafford and reduce waste.

 

Council therefore requests the Executive Member for the Environment, Air Quality and Climate Change to:

 

1.     Develop a robust strategy to ensure Trafford Council phases out single-use plastics (SUP) in its activities within the next two years.

2.     Work with partners and other large institutions to encourage them in developing similar strategies to reduce SUP.

3.     Inform the public of Trafford of the reasons for phasing out SUP and encourage them to switch to alternatives.

 

Council also agrees to:

 

1.     Incorporate the phasing out of SUP into Trafford Council's Sustainability Strategy.

2.     Refer all of the recommendations in this motion to Scrutiny Committee in order to advise the Executive on effective delivery.

3.     Ask the Executive Member for the Environment, Air Quality and Climate Change to write to the Environment Secretary, requesting that the reduction of SUP form part of any future national Waste Management Strategy.

4.     Commit the Council to explore the implementation of reusable cups to officers and members to show leadership on this important issue.

 

In line with proposals set out in this motion, Council will be pleased to note that the Executive Member for the Environment, Air Quality and Climate Change has already asked that single use plastic cups are no longer to be used for meetings in Trafford as a first step towards the complete elimination of single use plastics and that this measure is now in place. Furthermore, Council welcomes the work that the Leader of the Council has done with the Mayor in visiting a local school and agreeing to eliminate a number of single use plastics in council buildings at the request of some of our youngest residents.