North Yorkshire County Council

Executive  

23 March 2021

Single Use Plastics Review

1 Purpose of the Report

1.1     To consider the report and recommendations of the Transport, Economy and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s Single Use Plastics Review (attached at Annex A).

2 Introduction

2.1       The Transport, Economy and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 24 January 2019, agreed to set up a task group to establish how North Yorkshire County Council, in partnership with others, could reduce the use of single-use plastics.  The task group was to be set up once the detail of the government’s proposals was known in its Resources and Waste Strategy.

2.2       The task group commenced and concluded its work in 2020.  

3 The Task Group

3.1       The task group was chaired by County Councillor David Goode; working with County Councillors Paul Haslam, Robert Heseltine, David Jeffels, Clive Pearson and Roberta Swiers.

4 Aims of the Review

4.1 The aims of the review were:

i)     To establish additional ways to reduce the use of single use plastics by North Yorkshire County Council staff and visitors by:

· Committing to reducing our reliance on single-use plastics where practicably possible. 

· Identifying sites and service areas where significant improvements can be made. 

· Communicating to staff, building users and visitors the role they have to play to ensure the success of the reduction in single use plastics.

ii)    To establish how North Yorkshire County Council can work with partner organisations, local businesses and residents to encourage a reduction in the use of single-use plastics across North Yorkshire by:

· Encouraging partner businesses, schools and young people on board across North Yorkshire to reduce single-use plastics. 

· Engaging with businesses to provide strategic leadership on how they can develop their own actions with this agenda. 

· Engaging with residents through our webpage, social media, case studies,            press releases, and identifying how they can contribute. 

· Suggesting simple changes that can be made to daily routines that will help save money, improve health and help the planet.

iii)    To look for alternatives to single-use plastics and best practice elsewhere including but not limited to other local authorities.

5          Process

5.1       The task group held a series of meetings to take evidence, including from North Yorkshire County Council’s Head of Procurement and Contract Management, its Head of Property Service and from the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

5.2       The Transport, Economy and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee at

its meeting on 21 January 2021, agreed the report including the recommendations

to be presented to the Executive.

6 Financial & Legal Implications

6.1       The review did not undertake any detailed financial assessments or legal implications. 

7	Recommendation
7.1	The Executive is asked to note the findings of the report and agree that the Executive Member for Open to Business, including growth, economic development, planning, waste management, trading standards unit and business relations takes forward the recommendations in the report.

Report compiled by:

Jonathan Spencer

Principal Scrutiny Officer

County Hall, Northallerton

Tel: 01609 780780  

E-mail: jonathan.spencer@northyorks.gov.uk

Date: 27 January 2021

Background documents: None

Annexes:                                           

Annex A: Report of the Transport, Economy and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s Single Use Plastics Review.