Single-Use Plastic Reduction Action Plan, Annual Report
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Despite unprecedented pressures across all departments due to the Covid pandemic, DAERA, in partnership with DoF, has removed all unnecessary single-use plastic (SUP) from the Government estate within the target date of October 2021. A ban on the use of unnecessary SUP across the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) estate is now in place from 1 October 2021.
The single-use plastic reduction action plan (agreed by the Executive in October 2020) to end the use of unnecessary SUP across the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) Government Estate reached the end of the implementation phase on 30 September 2021. From 1 October 2021, a ban is now in place. Suppliers have identified alternatives to the disposable items in use, replacing them with reusable items or more environmentally friendly alternatives. This Annual report intends to provide a comprehensive overview of actions taken by the Department to implement the plan across the government estate, as well as highlighting the key achievements. It will also cover problems faced implementing this type of policy during a global pandemic and discuss lessons that have been learned along the way.
Please see attached copy of the Annual Report for further details.
Single-Use Plastic Reduction Action Plan, Final Report
The Single-Use Plastic Reduction Action Plan to end the use of unnecessary single-use plastic across the NICS Government Estate is now fully implemented.
The Single-Use Plastic Reduction Action Plan (agreed by the Executive in October 2020) to end the use of unnecessary SUP across the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) Government Estate reached the end of the implementation phase on 30 September 2021, with a ban in place from 1 October 2021. DAERA and DoF are content that this work has been embedded into normal business practices and each Department will now take responsibility for monitoring this work under business as usual within their own Department.
The Final Plastic Reduction Action Plan below follows on from the work already reported on in the first Single-Use Plastic Reduction Action Plan, Annual Report 2021 published in March 2022. It gives an overview of actions taken from October 2021 – May 2023 to monitor and implement the Plan across the Government Estate, as well as highlighting the key achievements.