Cheshire East is looking to ban the use of single use plastics in council-managed buildings and facilities.

The ban would not apply to some plastic used to wrap food to preserve it because this could lead to greater food waste.

The decision comes after a notion of motion was proposed by High Legh councillor Kate Parkinson (Con) at the December full council meeting that 'the council leads by example by banning single use plastic'.

In a written statement read out by Cllr Tony Dean at yesterday's (March 7) environment and communities committee meeting, Cllr Parkinson praised the council for the things it was doing to improve the environment but urged it 'to also think carefully about the smaller things we could be doing, such as banning single use plastic for our operations, using filtered water fountains and taps within Cheshire East and ESAR (leisure) buildings and encouraging our councillors to bring their own water flasks and mugs into buildings'.

She was critical of drinks supplied at the December council meeting at Crewe Lifestyle Centre which, she said, were in cartons which could not easily be recycled.

"Small changes can make a big difference," she said.

"I would ask this committee to take a positive approach to this matter by committing to remove plastic bottles, containers and packaging from its operations within six months." Cllr Dean (Knutsford, Con) told the committee there had been a similar notice of motion in 2018. "Let's just accept that we already have a notice of motion, put in the proviso about where plastic is the only feasible way to keep food fresh, but otherwise we go forward with what was agreed in 2018," he said. Committee chair Mick Warren (Macclesfield East, Ind) suggested asking officers for a report about the council's current usage, saying they could then 'push on from that report to set some realistic dates for what it is we want to achieve'. The committee agreed unanimously that a report on the council's current use should be brought back to a future committee meeting as soon as possible with a view to setting a date to banning the use of single use plastic, where possible, in its buildings.