Nearly 300 single-use plastic items banned from schools in Glasgow

Many single use plastics have now been banned in Glasgow schools and across all council catering services as part of a bid to fight climate change.

Plastic forks, knives, spoons and stirrers are among the items ditched.

A total of 280 products out of 476 that are no longer compliant with the council’s plastic reduction strategy and Scottish Government legislation have been removed.

Scottish Greens councillor Jon Molyneux described the move as a “huge reduction in the most harmful single-use plastics.”

He asked a question about how many categories of single-use items have been removed from usage within local authority catering at a full council meeting last week.

Replying, councillor Ruairi Kelly said single-use expanded polystyrene drink and food containers, single-use plastic cutlery, plates and beverage stirrers are no longer supplied and have instead been replaced with paper or wooden items.

The SNP politician said council staff worked with Bunzl Catering Supplies following draft guidance issued by the Scottish Government regarding single use plastic regulations to make sure the items were no longer used by May this year.

Councillor Molyneux said: “The huge reduction in the most harmful single-use plastics shows the impact of Greens in government and here in the council. We are taking decisive action to turn the tide on plastic pollution.

“There is of course more that can be done. In recent weeks Green councillors have highlighted issues with single-use vapes, and we will also deliver a successful deposit return scheme for plastic bottles to boost recycling and help cut litter.”