Sefton celebrate Plastic Free July with plea to cut down on single use plastics

Sefton Council have joined organisations across the UK in celebrating Plastic Free July and reflecting how we can all do more to reduce plastic pollution.

In 2018, Sefton Council passed a motion to reduce the use of single use plastics in order to protect our Borough, particularly our coastal environment.

Since then, the Council have required new concessions stalls, e.g. ice cream vans to be plastic free – no longer using plastic straws, stirrers, cups, cutlery, bags etc and only selling bottles which are 100% recyclable.

The Council have also made great strides in removing single use plastic, such as tea and coffee sachets, from our office spaces. However, the onset of the global pandemic and the associated reliance this has brought on Single Use Plastic (e.g. face masks, test kits, gloves) is a cause for concern.

The Council are calling on residents and businesses to do #OneSmallThing to reduce their use of single use plastics. This ‘Plastic Free July’ think about:

1. Taking your own reusable bags when shopping
2. Carrying a reusable water bottle and hot beverage cup
3. Using reusable containers for lunches and picnics when at work or on day trips
4. Avoiding plastic disposable straws, cutlery, cups or plates etc.
5. Making sure that if you do use some plastic items, please take them home with you and put them in your recycle bin.
6. Can your business provide a Single Use plastic alternative?

Cllr Paulette Lappin, Cabinet Member for Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Services said: “Plastic is a material designed to last for hundreds of years but we now make things that are used just once and thrown away. A plastic bag is used, on average, for 12 minutes, but it’s likely to be around when our great-great-great grandchildren are born!

“Sefton Council have made great strides in phasing out single use plastics in our Borough, but we all have to work together to reduce them even further.

“Plastic Free July should get people thinking about how a small change can result in a big reduction in single use plastics across the Borough and I hope people will join me in changing One Small Thing about the way we leave to make Sefton cleaner and greener.”

Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution – so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities. You can find more great tips on becoming plastic free at the Plastic Free July website

For more information on what Sefton are doing to tackle the Climate Emergency, visit our website