COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

MOTION NO. 23

MOTION: Councillor B. Bonner

"That this Area Committee supports an incentive scheme for shopkeepers who agree to reduce the volume of plastic and other packaging by offering loose fruit and vegetables, by offering paper bags instead of plastic bags and by facilitating customers who bring their own refillable containers." 

REPORT:

The issue of disposable or single use plastics has attracted a lot of national and international attention of late.

In efforts to address this issue South Dublin County Council, in conjunction with Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council, as part of our waste prevention programme, launched a major awareness campaign to tackle the growing environmental issue of disposable coffee cups in the Dublin region. This campaign highlights how careless actions can have serious consequences on the environment, and asks consumers to think about their coffee drinking habits in a new way.

In addition to this reusable cup awareness:

• A Conscious cup campaign was launched in SDCC and Café CoCo is incentivising all customers by offer of a 10c discount when they bring their own reusable cup.
• A SDCC staff reusable cup campaign was launched by the Mayor, Councillor Mark Ward, on the 16^th August 2018 in County Hall and multiple pledges were received.
• Community groups are also being encouraged to engage with and promote the reusable cup campaign by taking part in the Councils reusable cups community project. Community groups through the Social credits Scheme can request reusable cups, pledge forms and pops-ups to promote the cups at community events. A number of community groups have already engaged with the initiative such as St Cuthbert's community day.

• EWCC will also continue to work closely with the Conscious Cup Campaign (www.consciouscup.ie), to encourage cafes, coffee shops, garages etc. to become a supporter of the campaign by accepting reusable cups and offering discounts to those choosing not to use disposable cups. In addition SDCC, as part of the Local Authority Prevention Network (LAPN), has made submission to the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment in relation to the proposed introduction of a levy (15c) on disposable cups. 

In line with the above initiatives the Council is currently engaged with, SDCC would encourage all businesses to engage in similar initiatives which are appropriate to their individual business to assist them to reduce the volume of plastics they offer and work with their customers on how this might be achieved.