Content

DECLARATINS OF INTEREST FOR THIS ITEM:
 
None
 

RESOLVED:

 
That Cabinet:
 

Approved the Single
Use Plastics Policy 2026 and accompanying Single Use Plastics
Action Plan, which outlined how the Council would reduce SUPs, both
within its operations and across the borough.

Reasons for decision

 
Haringey Council was
committed to doing everything possible to respond to the climate
emergency and improve sustainability across its own operations and
in the borough of Haringey.
 
Reducing consumption
of SUPs across the Council’s offices and the borough saved
money, reduced waste, improved the environment and decreased the
number of harmful plastics ending up in the world’s oceans or
in landfill.
 
Haringey Council had
already taken bold steps to reduce SUPs. The last SUP policy
successfully delivered a wide range of plastic reduction
initiatives including the introduction of water fountains for
refillable bottles and recyclable drink cups in Council
offices.
 
This decision
supported the Council’s Climate Emergency declaration and
contributed to borough-wide carbon reduction targets. It also
aligned with the Corporate Delivery Plan, particularly the
strategic themes of Responding to the Climate Emergency and Place
and Economy.
 
Haringey’s last
original SUP Policy ran from 2020 to 2022. Post-COVID, many Council
practices had changed; for example, changes in building usage and
remote working affected SUP consumption and waste. Some actions
outlined in the original plan were no longer applicable or relevant
to current ways of working.
 
The national and
regional landscape around SUP had also changed significantly since
2020, which meant the original policy did not reflect recent
developments in legislation, borough-wide sustainability goals, or
best practice guidance from ReLondon
and London Councils.
 
At a regional level,
London Councils, ReLondon, and WRAP
launched the “One World Living Single-Use Plastics
Pledge” in 2025, encouraging boroughs to commit to reducing
SUPs across their operations and supply chains. This new updated
SUP policy reflected how Haringey actively aligned with this
pledge.
 
The Policy and Action
Plan highlighted the borough’s commitment to eliminate
problematic single-use plastics and transition to reuse in Council
operations and delivered services. It aligned with a growing
regional movement across London and was in tandem with the
Council’s commitment to the single-use plastics pledge in
partnership with London Councils, ReLondon and WRAP.
 

Alternative options considered
 
Doing nothing was
rejected. This would have left the Council with an outdated SUP
Policy, which did not reflect how the Council’s operations
had changed, or changes in the regional and national policy
landscape. Not updating the policy would not have supported the
Corporate Delivery Plan or the Haringey Climate Action Plan.
 
Doing a Council Plan
only was rejected. This would have focused only on the Council as
an organisation and on the influence the Council had across the
borough. The Council was well placed to help reduce SUPs beyond its
own organisation. To only focus on SUP the Council directly used
would have missed opportunities, such as SUPs at events, SUPs in
schools and SUPs used by the Council’s partners, which were a
vital part of achieving the Council’s aim.