Venues under the ownership and operation of Swindon Borough Council are gearing up for the England-wide ban on single-use plastics, which will take effect in October.
Starting 1st October, a new law will prohibit businesses from providing, selling, or offering specific single-use plastic items, including plates, bowls, cutlery, trays, polystyrene cups, and food containers.
This ban is expected to have a significant impact on reducing plastic waste and litter across England. Notably, plastic cutlery ranked among the top 15 most littered items in the country in 2020.
England reportedly uses 2.7 billion pieces of single-use cutlery per year, with the majority being plastic, along with 721 million single-use plates. However, only 10% of these items are recycled.
The Council has proactively taken steps to transition to environmentally-friendly alternatives in its establishments and reduce plastic waste, including at Lydiard Park and other country parks.
Consequently, a recent review identified a few adjustments necessary to ensure compliance with the new law. This involves replacing cutlery at the Forest Café in Lydiard Park with wooden alternatives. Additionally, changes will be made at the staff canteen in the Household Waste Recycling Centre at Cheney Manor Industrial Estate, where plastic takeaway containers for salads are currently used. These will be substituted with cardboard containers.
Furthermore, the Council is updating the terms and conditions of booking forms for third-party events at Lydiard Park to inform organisers of their responsibility to adhere to the new regulations.
Local businesses in Swindon must also adhere to the new guidelines by:
- Using up existing stock of single-use plastics before 1st October 2023.
- Finding reusable alternatives for single-use items.
- Utilising different materials for single-use items.
Failure to comply with the ban and continuing to supply any prohibited single-use plastics from 1st October could result in fines. The Council’s Trading Standards team will respond to public reports of businesses still using single-use plastics after this date.
Councillor Chris Watts, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment and Transport, remarked, “We need to do everything we can to reduce the amount of plastic pollution within Swindon, and as a country as a whole, so this new legislation is a step in the right direction.
“I’m pleased to see our venues are already making strides to be as eco-friendly as possible and I look forward to seeing further measures taken to make us even greener.”
Councillor Jane Milner-Barry, Swindon Borough Council’s Chair of the Net-Zero Committee, added, “As a new administration we are committed to combatting climate change through our priority to achieve Net Zero, and reducing ways we hinder the environment is a key part of that work.
“Plastics are just a solid form of oil, and a lot of plastic waste is incinerated or ends up in the sea, causing appalling environmental damage either way.
“Many Swindon businesses are ahead of the curve in phasing out the use of single-use plastic items like cutlery, cups, and food containers, but I’d urge those that haven’t already done so to prepare now for the ban coming in from October.”
