We’ve seen some great progress on reducing plastic waste under the Conservatives. In January a ban on the manufacture of products containing microbeads came into force and a ban on their sale comes into effect this July. The 5p charge on plastic bags has already cut their use by 83%, taking 9 billion bags out of circulation.
Last week, Theresa May announced an intention to ban the sale of plastic straws, drink stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds. These types of single-use plastics are lethal to wildlife and our precious environment. A recent study showed that 8.5 billion plastic straws are thrown away each year in the UK and many of these end up finding their way into the sea. The Prime Minister has also called on all Commonwealth countries to join in the fight against plastic pollution.
Reducing plastic waste at all stages are known as the 'Three Rs' of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. These plans rightly focus on the first part which is to reduce their usage in the first place and the government are also looking at a plastic bottle deposit scheme to see more reuse.
However, when it comes to recycling, it is very disappointing that Crawley Borough Council (the only Labour-run council in West Sussex) is the worst performer out of all West Sussex’s seven district and borough councils with a recycling rate of only 28%. These figures show the recycling rates of all seven local councils in West Sussex: Horsham DC 45%, Chichester DC 40%, Mid Sussex DC 39%, Arun DC 38%, Worthing BC 35%, Adur DC 32%, Crawley BC 28%.
The Government are so concerned about Crawley’s low recycling rate that last summer they wrote to Crawley Borough Council in good faith, wanting to hear what Crawley’s challenges are and to see if they could offer any assistance. Sadly, the response from the Labour Administration at the Council was typically hostile and political, effectively saying mind your own business. This is yet another example of Labour in Crawley putting their own (increasingly far-left) politics before what is best for our town. Crawley deserves better.
Councillor Duncan Crow, Leader of Crawley Borough Council Conservative Group
25th April 2018