Plastic pollution blights our oceans and we know that human activity is causing the release of huge amounts of plastic in our natural environment. As a result, Luke has backed Plymouth’s Plastic Free City initiative championed by Environment Plymouth and Plymouth City Council.

Luke leads for Labour on plastic pollution and as part of that work Luke has pressed Ministers on whether they plan to extend the ban on single use plastics to include sanitary products. Many sanitary products include plastic that is then disposed – many down the toilet and into bins.

Luke said:

“We need to get serious about plastic pollution and have a relentless programme of removing single use plastics from our economy. At a time when the virus means we are using more single use plastics to slow the spread of the virus we need to be making progress on removing plastics from other parts of our lives. Sanitary products contain a lot of single use plastics and I am keen to see a plan for addressing this.

 

“I am encouraged by the answer to my question from the Government saying that Ministers are open to using new powers to address single use plastics in sanitary products. But the environment bill that the answer references is still missing – it was last debated over 200 days ago in Parliament and now won’t be law before we leave the Brexit transition period. There is much work to do here.”

Luke asked:

“To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to extend the single use plastic ban to include plastic in sanitary products.”