All councils in Northern Ireland provide various services for the local communities they serve. These can range from operating leisure centres and parks, to catering for local events, business meetings and staff in council-run venues. Ultimately, this creates the potential for councils to amass huge amounts of plastic through their activities, and these can very quickly end up in the recycling bin or worse; landfill, incinerators and on our streets, rural roads and coastal areas and oceans.
For these reasons, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful works closely with local councils to encourage new ways to avoid the proliferation of pointless plastics in our communities and to pursue alternatives that are kinder to our planet.
One of our key initiatives to help councils remain committed to a plastic-free ethos is our Plastic Promise.
Simply put, this is a pledge that councils make to reduce and phase out their use of single-use plastics from day-to-day operations. Councils can use the Plastic Promise to focus on eliminating specific plastic items, and they are invited to renew their pledge as they make progress.
Plastic PromiseAntrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council pledge to reduce the use of single use plastics across all our sites by:
Case Studies
Thirst-quenching free refill scheme along our Boroughs shorelines! |
Plastic PromiseAs a Council, Ards and North Down Borough Council are uniquely placed to lead the charge on SUP consumption and be exemplars to the communities of our Borough. We continue to work towards 100% implementation of our policy of eliminating unnecessary SUPs from our corporate activities both internal and external facing activities. Case Studies |
Plastic Promise"The long-term vision for Armagh City Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council to be a 'Single-Use-Plastic-Free' authority. Council is confident to work towards phasing out the use of SUP's across all premises and events." Case StudiesCigarette Ballot Bins (in partnership with Tackling Plastic NI) |
Plastic PromiseComing soon Case Studies |
Plastic Promise"Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council pledge to reduce plastic use with simple, practical actions. The main driver to achieve this is PlasticSmart, an established initiative aimed at decreasing the amount of plastic generated in our Borough. To demonstrate commitment council will:
Case StudiesTo follow |
Plastic Promise"Derry and Strabane District Council have already begun to look at ways of reducing plastic usage. All plastic drinking cups have been removed from our water fountains and therefore people are required to use their own bottles / cups for their water. When sports events are being held, council have reduced the provision of plastic drinking bottles. Council are also hoping to incorporate sustainable packaging into their events i.e. make it mandatory for vendors at events to only use compostable / sustainable food packaging and eliminate use of plastics." Case Studies |
Plastic Promise"Fermanagh and Omagh District Council pledge to reduce single use plastics in Council buildings and to assist householders, businesses and community groups across the district to take steps to reduce their plastic waste. The Council pledge to phase out single use plastics within Council offices and buildings, provide staff with water bottles and ensure water refill stations are in place in Council buildings. To roll out refill stations to public parks in the district. To work on an education and community litter programme to tackle plastic litter in our environment." Case Studies |
Plastic Promise"Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council aims to reduce the use of single-use plastics where possible throughout all council facilities, events and activities. The Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council said: 'We are all aware of the damage single use plastics can do to our countryside, environment and wildlife. At Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, we are committed to doing our bit and hope you will too. By signing this pledge, we are promising to reduce single use plastic at our council premises and events. Together we can adopt small changes to reduce single use plastic for example, carry a reusable bottle, reusable travel cup and a shopping bag when out and about." Case StudiesLCCC Expand Water Refill Stations |
Plastic Promise"Mid and East Antrim Council are committed to reducing single-use plastics within our Council buildings. Removal of plastic cups is the first step along the journey to reduce/eliminate all types of single-use plastic.
Case StudiesDeposit Return Scheme pilot (in partnership with Bryson and Cryptocycle) |
Plastic Promise"Mid Ulster District Council pledge to reduce single use plastics across its estate and all operations by 2030. The Council pledge to assist householders, businesses, schools and community groups across the district with actions to implement in order to reduce their plastic waste, with the continued educational and awareness programme. Council also pledge to continue with regular local litter picks and clean ups across the district." Case StudiesTo follow |
Plastic Promise"Newry, Mourne and Down District Council recognises that discarded plastics, including non-recyclable food containers, cups and straws are a major environmental pollutant and of detrimental impact to our local environment. As an organisation employing 1040 staff, with a district population of 177,000 we must play a civic role and lead by example in the battle against plastic. By December 2019 Newry Mourne and Down District Council will have adopted its Single Use Plastics Policy and Strategy/Action Plan which will phase out all Single Use Plastics across the Council. We have already bought extra crockery and metal utensils and banned use of plastic plates, cups, knives, forks and spoons in catering. All staff have received a reusable drinking bottle and mains water fountains are being installed in council buildings and at outside locations for staff and public to refill. A cross departmental officer working group on single use plastics has been set up and sustainability, procurement, waste and events teams are working to ban single use plastics across all our operations." Case StudiesTo follow |