West Cornwall MP, Derek Thomas welcomes the Plastic Free Parliament campaign which has been launched following an investigation by the Cornish charity, Surfers Against Sewage, into Parliament’s single use plastic consumption.
The group has uncovered that over 2 million avoidable single-use plastic items were purchased by the House of Commons and House of Lords in 2017 alone.
Plastic straws and stirrers, coffee cups and lids, condiment sachets, plastic cutlery and disposable plastic water bottles are used across the Palace of Westminster estate, all of which can be eliminated or replaced by more sustainable and reusable options.
Mr Thomas said, “The Prime Minister recently launched the Government’s 25-year environmental plan which focussed heavily on eliminating plastic waste. Too many single use plastics are mindlessly used in Parliament and I support this campaign to eliminate this”.
“Parliament must set an example to other organisations and communities, by reducing the amount of single use disposable plastics it uses.”
“MPs and Community leaders must also lead by example. I personally will be making every effort to reduce my own plastic footprint for example by using refillable cups and bottles.”
Mr Thomas previously welcomed the news that Penzance was awarded “plastic-free” status. He commented “I will continue to work with communities across my constituency to become closer to being plastic free. As we saw in Penzance, there is enthusiasm among local businesses for plastic reduction initiatives such as bottle deposit schemes, which I will continue to do all I can to support and encourage”
More information on the campaign can be found on the Surfers Against Sewage site, https://www.sas.org.uk/news/plastic-free-parliament/