Local TD, Denis Naughten, has welcomed the decision by Government to progress his initiative on banning single use plastics in all public buildings, including schools.
The Government has now taken the decision that no department will purchase single-use plastic cups, cutlery and straws for use within their offices. From April, this will apply to all public bodies, including state agencies and schools who will not purchase single-use plastic beverage cups, cutlery and drinking straws except where specific public health/hygiene or safety issues arise.
“This ban by Government is a significant step forward in banning single use plastics, outright. The fact is that plastic is destroying our waters, our oceans, our climate and ultimately our health.
“With the Government spending €12 billion on goods and services each year, it is now hoped that this move will stimulate the market, bring about cheaper alternatives, thereby allowing the ban on single use plastics to progress through to the private sector,” Deputy Naughten referenced.
Deputy Naughten, as a Member of the European Council of Ministers, took a leadership role in the area of plastics and had been pushing his European colleagues for a far more aggressive approach to pushing out single-use plastics before 2030.
“There is no reason why we have to wait until 2030 to ban these plastics across the EU and we must regulate the end of single-use plastics far quicker,” the Deputy concluded.
