Agenda item

Verbal Update

The Panel received a verbal update from Joe Baker, Head of Carbon Management on actions taken to date to reduce the amount of single use plastics and the development of a single use plastic policy.  The draft Single Use Plastics policy was scheduled to go to Corporate Board in May before being agreed by Cabinet in June. The following update was given in relation to the work undertaken to date:

1. George Meehan House no longer used plastic stirrers, lids, cups, individual milk containers or cutlery.
2. From 31^st January, new staff were given a reusable coffee cup at their Corporate Induction, which would reduce the number of disposable single use plastics coffee cups being purchased by staff.
3. The Council’s café (Podium) introduced a charge for the provision of disposable cups and plastic containers and is offering reusable coffee cups for sale.
4. A Staff Waste Reduction Network had been set up with 30 members. The network would be working on waste and plastic reduction goals and help with communications to improve the rate of recycling and prevent contamination of recycling. Plastic cups were no longer being ordered for water dispensers and the current stock was being run down.
5. Investigations had begun regarding the provision of food waste bins in office kitchen areas.
6. The recycling bins at the back of River Park House were now locked, which had significantly reduced contamination.
7. An audit has been sent out to all senior staff to identify areas for plastic and waste reduction in service areas.
8. The Events Team sent a questionnaire out to all past event organisers to determine what single use plastics they used and how we could work to reduce them.  The Parks and Green Spaces Strategy would include new policies on single use plastics.
9. Officers were working on the installation of up to 5 water fountains across the borough with the GLA – providing publicly accessible drinking water.
10. Work was ongoing with procurement to include weighting towards not using single use plastics in our procurement processes.
11. The Council was working with the North London Waste Authority (NLWA) to deliver waste reduction and single use plastic workshops in two Haringey schools.
12. Work has also been undertaken with the NLWA and Plastic Free Crouch End to work towards achieving ‘low plastic zone’ accreditation in Crouch End.
13. Many of the actions identified were cost-free or low cost and can be delivered without significant resources.

The following was noted in discussion of this item:

1. The Chair raised concerns that there was no written briefing circulated in advance of the meeting and requested that a written briefing be provided in future. Officers agreed to circulate a note on single use plastics to the Panel. (Action: Joe Baker).
2. The Chair requested that Councillors also be given a reusable plastic cup as well as new staff members. Officers agreed to look into this. (Action: Joe Baker).
3. In response to a question around whether consideration had been given to providing water fountains in parks, officers advised that they were looking to secure free provision of water from available cafes and kiosks in parks.
4. In response to a question around whether there was a figure around the reduction in single use plastics achieved, officers advised that a baseline survey was carried out by the champions network but no assessment of current usage had been done as yet.
5. In response to a question on eco-friendly comms, officers acknowledged that further work on this would be undertaken and that this would form part of the programme moving forwards.
6. The Panel suggested that more could be done to promote local litter picking events across the borough.
7. The Panel sought reassurance around the role of the champions’ network and why there were only 30 staff involved. In response, officers advised that they were leading on culture change within the organisation and that they would be used to mentor other staff and increase awareness.
8. The Panel raised concerns about ensuring that actions taken as part of this strategy were measureable. Officers advised in response that, as part of the Cabinet report in June, there would be an action plan developed that would contain measurable outcomes.

RESOLVED

That the Panel noted the update on single use plastics.