Following discussions with local environmental group, Deal With It, at the Full Council meeting on 26 November 2019, Councillors RESOLVED:
- propose revisions to Full Council on Deal Town Council’s standard contracts/terms and conditions in relation to all areas of operation, with a view to eliminating plastic pollution
- The Council to embed the on-going commitment to reducing plastic waste and recycling and a circular plastic economy by:
- Continuing efforts to reduce plastics use and
- achieving Plastic Free accreditation
- support and promote local businesses to take positive action to reduce plastics use and to sign up to the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment
Since that decision was made, the Environment Committee, with the help of Plastic Free Deal, has undertaken a single use plastic audit of its operations. This enabled the identification of where single use plastics were being used and ways of eliminating them developed. All single use plastics have now been eliminated from Council operations.
Improvements have also been made in waste management to maximise reuse and recycling.
At the moment a special panel is working on reviewing all the Council's standard contracts and Term & Conditions in order to eliminate plastic pollution.