73% of people would like the government to ban as much single-use packaging as possible, according to new research by environmental charity City to Sea.
City to Sea revealed the research during a parliamentary reception hosted by Alistair Carmichael MP, Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee.
During the event, City to Sea urged the new government to implement a ban on single-use food service materials in dine-in settings.
64% of people surveyed also called for a ban on single-use plastic in dine-in settings.
In France, all brasseries, cafés and multinational chains, with more than 20 seats per venue, must provide reusable packaging.
An online petition by City to Sea calling on the UK to implement a similar ban has gathered 30,000 signatures.
The charity is also calling for legally binding targets for reusable and refillable packaging and the introduction of an “all-in” deposit return scheme (DRS).
The government cannot continue to drag their feet on the plastic problem as piles of waste continue to line our streets and shores.
Over a dozen MPs attended the reception, including Sarah Dyke, Ann Davies, and Ben Maguire, alongside industry representatives from M&S, Ecover and Unpacked.
Representatives from environmental organisations including Greenpeace also attended the session.
City to Sea called the UK Government’s goal to transition to a zero-waste economy by 2050 “ambitious” but said it has not tackled the effects of plastic pollution.
85% of people surveyed said they wanted to see a reduction in plastic litter in their local area.
Reuse solutions were found to be particularly popular as part of the research with 77% of Britons wanting to see brands and retailers offer more refill and reusable packaging options.
Jane Martin, CEO of City to Sea, commented: “The government cannot continue to drag their feet on the plastic problem as piles of waste continue to line our streets and shores.
“With an ambitious goal to be zero-waste by 2050, policy needs to be rolled out now to facilitate that vision, including legally binding targets for reusable packaging, an all-in DRS and ambitious plastic bans.
“Our polling shows a clear statement from the public that they are trying to do their bit, but expect the government to do more, including banning single-use plastic in dine-in settings. All the government has to do is act.”
