1 March 2018
Somerset County Council have unanimously voted to pass a motion to end the use and sale of disposable single use plastics (such as bottles and cutlery) in council facilities. The motion was put forward by the Green Party at a full council meeting, and was supported by the Conservative majority and other parties. The vote will be followed up by a strategy and timetable to implement the ban across all Somerset County Council buildings and facilities including schools and libraries.
This follows Mendip District Council's recent decision to stop using single use plastics by April 2018, again proposed by the Green Party. Frome Town Council has also agreed to a similar measure and has launched a campaign to encourage shops in Frome to find alternatives to single use plastics.
John Clarke, the county councillor for Frome West, who proposed the motion, said, "It is estimated that single use plastic is responsible for the deaths of 100,000 marine animals and one million birds every year. The environmental impact is staggering. Action such as that taken by Somerset and other councils is so important if we are to avert continuing disaster for our oceans and sea life, as well as potential impacts on humans and our environment."
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