REDUCING PLASTIC USE IN PARLIAMENT

That this House notes with great concern that up to 13 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean every year, causing significant damage to marine life and spoiling coastal landscapes in the UK and across the world; further notes that over two million single-use plastic items were used on the parliamentary estate in 2017, including cutlery, straws, stirrers, single-serve condiments, drinks bottles and coffee cups; believes that all such items are avoidable and can easily be replaced with recyclable, refillable or multiple-use items; welcomes the new political focus on dealing with plastic pollution; supports the Surfers Against Sewage Plastic Free Parliament campaign to eliminate such items from the parliamentary estate; and calls on the Government to take steps to introduce a phased ban of such products across the UK.