Council leader hopes to make Rochdale single use plastic-free borough

Council Leader Councillor Allen Brett

Councillor Allen Brett is hoping to make Rochdale one of the first single use plastic-free (SUP-free) boroughs in the country.

It is anticipated that a five-point plan for achieving plastic-free status will lead to the award’s organisers, Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), handing the nationally recognised accolade to Rochdale.

The five point plan

• The Council committing to tackling single use plastics at a strategic level.
• Lobbying and encouraging local businesses to ban single use plastics or switch to sustainable alternatives.
• Engaging with and encouraging other communities, groups and organisations to take action on single use plastics.
• Rolling out 'Plastic Free Schools' across the borough.
• Holding area cleans, fundraisers and other awareness raising events.

Councillor Brett said: “More than 12 million tonnes of plastic enters the world’s oceans every year. Do not be fooled into thinking that this does not affect us all, it does. 

"This award may seem to have been designed with coastal towns in mind, but pollution of our oceans affects us all.

“We really need top act now, before it is too late, but we will only succeed if we all, council, businesses and the public, work together."