The Queen bans plastics in palace

In a bid to reduce waste, the Queen has banned plastic straws and bottles from the Royal estates.

Buckingham Palace says the Royal household has a strong desire to tackle the issue of plastic pollution.

The palace confirms that the Queen is going to phase out the use of plastic straws in public cafes on the estates and will ban them completely in staff dining rooms.

Caterers working at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh will be required to use only china plates and glasses, or recyclable paper cups and takeaway food items in cafes must be stored in compostable or biodegradable packaging.

Prince Charles has previously been an outspoken campaigner on plastic waste. At the International Sustainability Unit meeting, Prince Charles said the current challenge with plastics is “extremely grave and urgent.”

“Across the organisation, the Royal Household is committed to reducing its environmental impact,” said a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman.

“As part of that, we have taken a number of practical steps to cut back on the use of plastics. At all levels, there's a strong desire to tackle this issue.”

The Palace is undergoing a £369 million renovation to make it more energy efficient and companies applying for Royal Warrants must now prove they are environmentally friendly.

The plans are set to reduce the annual energy consumption of the Palace by 40 per cent.