UK Parliament introduce new range of compostable products to replace existing single-use plastic items

The UK Parliament has announced the introduction of a new range of compostable products to replace existing single-use plastic items.

The plant-based products include certified compostable single-use cutlery, coffee cups, lids and drinking straws.

The new compostable products are provided by Vegware, through Parliaments supplier WK Thomas and the range is made from sustainably-sourced board, and biopolymers PLA and CPLA which are derived from plant starch.

To capture used compostable items, new waste bins will be introduced which will then be sent to a specialist waste facility.

An in-vessel composting method will use a combination of heat and microbes to turn the waste into compost suitable for gardens.

With the aim of eliminating single-use avoidable plastics from both Houses by 2019, compostable products are one of several measures announced earlier this year.

The first phase of the plan saw the introduction of re-usable coffee cups in June this year, with more than a thousand cups already sold in Parliament.

From October 2018, Parliament will stop selling bottled water, immediately removing 120,000 plastic bottles from circulation annually. 

The roll-out of the new range in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords will be completed by October.

Lord Laming, Chair of the House of Lords Services Committee, which agreed the proposals for the House of Lords, said: “Parliament has acknowledged the damaging effect single-use disposable plastic is having on the environment and that it must lead the way in valuing our environmental future over convenience. This review has taken a holistic approach to plastic reduction, considering everything from disposable cutlery to packaging.”