Agenda item

This Council notes with concern that according to recent research, eight million metric tonnes of plastic waste ends up in the world’s oceans each year, endangering marine life, and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that by 2050 the weight of plastic in the oceans will exceed that of fish.  There is also a growing understanding of the risks posed to human health by toxic chemicals present in plastics.  

This Council, therefore, resolves to:

1.  Phase out the use of single use plastics by this Council and its supply chain by the end of 2019, and ensure that any single use plastics still in use because of existing contracts have a definite end date for their use.

2.  End the sale and provision of single use plastic products, such as bottles, cups, cutlery, drinking straws and food containers, in council buildings.

3.  Investigate the possibility of requiring pop-up food and drink vendors at Council events to avoid single use plastics as a condition of their contract.

4.  Work with tenants and operators in commercial properties owned by this Council to support the phasing out of single use plastic cups, bottles, cutlery, straws and food containers.

5.  Work with event organisers to create policy in which single use disposable plastic cups and glasses are replaced at all city events with reusable or deposit scheme cups and glasses, and that single use plastic food containers are not provided. 

6.  Bring a report to the Executive Board within 6 months highlighting the progress made.

It was moved by Councillor A Blackburn, seconded by Councillor Elliott that this Council notes with concern that according to recent research, eight million metric tonnes of plastic waste ends up in the world’s oceans each year, endangering marine life, and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that by 2050 the weight of plastic in the oceans will exceed that of fish.  There is also a growing understanding of the risks posed to human health by toxic chemicals present in plastics.  

This Council, therefore, resolves to:

1.  Phase out the use of single use plastics by this Council and its supply chain by the end of 2019, and ensure that any single use plastics still in use because of existing contracts have a definite end date for their use.

2.  End the sale and provision of single use plastic products, such as bottles, cups, cutlery, drinking straws and food containers, in council buildings.

3.  Investigate the possibility of requiring pop-up food and drink vendors at Council events to avoid single use plastics as a condition of their contract.

4.  Work with tenants and operators in commercial properties owned by this Council to support the phasing out of single use plastic cups, bottles, cutlery, straws and food containers.

5.  Work with event organisers to create policy in which single use disposable plastic cups and glasses are replaced at all city events with reusable or deposit scheme cups and glasses, and that single use plastic food containers are not provided. 

6.  Bring a report to the Executive Board within 6 months highlighting the progress made.

An amendment was moved by Councillor Wadsworth, seconded by Councillor Stephenson

Insert the following bullet point between ‘are not provided’ and ‘Bring a report to’:

‘Investigate what more the Council can do to ensure it recycles more plastic and provides opportunities for businesses and the public to recycle plastic.’

Motion will read:

‘This Council notes with concern that according to recent research, eight million metric tonnes of plastic waste ends up in the world’s oceans each year, endangering marine life, and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that by 2050 the weight of plastic in the oceans will exceed that of fish.  There is also a growing understanding of the risks posed to human health by toxic chemicals present in plastics.  

This Council, therefore, resolves to:

1.  Phase out the use of single use plastics by this Council and its supply chain by the end of 2019, and ensure that any single use plastics still in use because of existing contracts have a definite end date for their use.

2.  End the sale and provision of single use plastic products, such as bottles, cups, cutlery, drinking straws and food containers, in council buildings.

3.  Investigate the possibility of requiring pop-up food and drink vendors at Council events to avoid single use plastics as a condition of their contract.

4.  Work with tenants and operators in commercial properties owned by this Council to support the phasing out of single use plastic cups, bottles, cutlery, straws and food containers.

5.  Work with event organisers to create policy in which single use disposable plastic cups and glasses are replaced at all city events with reusable or deposit scheme cups and glasses, and that single use plastic food containers are not provided. 

6.  Investigate what more the Council can do to ensure it recycles more plastic and provides opportunities for businesses and the public to recycle plastic.

7.  Bring a report to the Executive Board within 6 months highlighting the progress made.

 A second amendment was moved by Councillor J Bentley, seconded by Campbell

Insert a new bullet point 6 that reads:

“6. Extend household waste recycling to include category 3 (PVC),
  category 5 (Polypropylene) and category 6 (polystyrene)”

The current bullet point 6 will become bullet point 7:

The last three bullet points will thus read:

5.  Work with event organisers to create policy in which single use disposable plastic cups and glasses are replaced at all city events with reusable or deposit scheme cups and glasses, and that single use plastic food containers are not provided. 

6  Extend household waste recycling to include category 3 (PVC),
category 5 (Polypropylene) and category 6 (polystyrene)”

7  Bring a report to the Executive Board within 6 months highlighting the progress made.

The amendment in the name of Councillor Wadsworth was carried, the amendment in the name of Councillor J Bentley was declared lost and upon being put to the vote it was

RESOLVED – That this Council notes with concern that according to recent research, eight million metric tonnes of plastic waste ends up in the world’s oceans each year, endangering marine life, and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that by 2050 the weight of plastic in the oceans will exceed that of fish.  There is also a growing understanding of the risks posed to human health by toxic chemicals present in plastics.  

This Council, therefore, resolves to:

1.  Phase out the use of single use plastics by this Council and its supply chain by the end of 2019, and ensure that any single use plastics still in use because of existing contracts have a definite end date for their use.

2.  End the sale and provision of single use plastic products, such as bottles, cups, cutlery, drinking straws and food containers, in council buildings.

3.  Investigate the possibility of requiring pop-up food and drink vendors at Council events to avoid single use plastics as a condition of their contract.

4.  Work with tenants and operators in commercial properties owned by this Council to support the phasing out of single use plastic cups, bottles, cutlery, straws and food containers.

5.  Work with event organisers to create policy in which single use disposable plastic cups and glasses are replaced at all city events with reusable or deposit scheme cups and glasses, and that single use plastic food containers are not provided. 

6.  Investigate what more the Council can do to ensure it recycles more plastic and provides opportunities for businesses and the public to recycle plastic.

7.  Bring a report to the Executive Board within 6 months highlighting the progress made.