Single-use Plastic

“The London Assembly notes that each year,  at least 8 million tonnes of plastics are discarded into the world’s oceans – equivalent to the contents of a rubbish truck every minute.^[1] Furthermore, a recent study found that many fish in the river Thames have ingested plastic fibres, as much as 75% of one species.^[2] In the UK we use          7 million disposable coffee cups every day – that’s 2.5 billion every year – and very few are recycled.^[3]

“The Assembly also notes the Mayor’s previous work to reduce single-use plastic consumption in London, in particular the water refill scheme, which was implemented following an Environment Committee investigation into single-use plastic bottles.

“The Assembly believes that more needs to be done at national level to reduce the quantities of plastic in circulation by increasing the uptake of non-plastic alternatives and recycled plastic only where necessary. Londoners’ ability to cut down on single-use plastic is to a large extent dependent on the availability of alternatives on the market.

“The Assembly therefore calls on the Mayor to lobby Government to strengthen their forthcoming resources and waste policies following the consultation periods, by introducing a tax on all single-use plastics and banning single-use, non-recyclable hot drinks cups.

“The Assembly also calls on the Mayor to work with Government to designate London as a pilot city for their forthcoming Deposit Return Scheme, as was recommended in the previous Environment Committee report.^[4]”