Re-using and recycling plastics is critical and I was pleased to visit Alton Towers Resort last week to see the exciting new recycling initiative between Coca-Cola Great Britain and Merlin Entertainments. The summer promotion allows people to return an empty 500ml plastic drinks bottle to one of the reverse vending machines on-site at Alton Towers in return for a voucher to receive 50% off entry to 30 popular Merlin attractions including Alton Towers Resort. This is a great way to encourage consumers to recycle and Coca-Coca will test whether consumers respond to a reward scheme by recycling more.
As your MP I am glad to tell you that the new 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment commits the Government to working to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste.
Parliament has announced a comprehensive range of steps to drastically reduce its consumption of single-use plastics by 2019. From summer 2018 Parliament will stop purchasing non-recyclable disposable cups and to encourage long-term behaviour change, a 25 pence charge will be added to hot drinks served in new compostable cups.
Alongside these reforms, plastic bottles of mineral water will no longer be on sale in Parliament, immediately removing 125,000 plastic bottles of waste annually. Compostable alternatives will replace all disposable plastic items used in catering venues and in 2019 plastic carrier bags will be phased out.
I was also delighted to meet up with the Management team at Alton Towers and have the opportunity to ride the new Wicker Man rollercoaster, the UK’s first new wooden coaster built in over 20 years with incredible special effects such as flames, smoke and a huge, flaming effigy. It was then off to Butterton for a lovely, sunny afternoon talking to local residents and delivering leaflets about my work as your MP.