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—Councils Tackling Plastic

All councils in Northern Ireland provide various services for the local communities they serve. These can range from operating leisure centres and parks, to catering for local events, business meetings and staff in council-run venues. Ultimately, this creates the potential for councils to amass huge amounts of plastic through their activities, and these can very quickly end up in the recycling bin or worse; landfill, incinerators and on our streets, rural roads and coastal areas and oceans.

For these reasons, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful works closely with local councils to encourage new ways to avoid the proliferation of pointless plastics in our communities and to pursue alternatives that are kinder to our planet.


KNIB Plastic promise logo

The Plastic Promise

One of our key initiatives to help councils remain committed to a plastic-free ethos is our Plastic Promise

Simply put, this is a pledge that councils make to reduce and phase out their use of single-use plastics from day-to-day operations. Councils can use the Plastic Promise to focus on eliminating specific plastic items, and they are invited to renew their pledge as they make progress.


How Councils are tackling plastic pollution

  1. Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council
  2. Plastic Promise

    Logos of Plastic Promise and Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council

    Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council pledge to reduce the use of single use plastics across all our sites by:

    1. Promoting the reduction and recycling of plastics, and the use of alternatives to staff and the general public;
    2. Provide alternatives where available of single use plastics for services, staff and users of Council facilities;
    3. Ensure catering franchises, vendors and catering establishments contracted for events reduce or provide alternatives to single use plastics;- Provide refillable stations for water bottles across Council sites;
    4. Adhere to legislation in regards to single use plastic and plastic recycling and reduction;
    5. Work with businesses, charities and communities to promote plastic reduction and recycling initiatives such as Refillution, deposit return schemes and reduction in Marine Litter etc.

    Case Studies

    Sustainable packaging project

    Thirst-quenching free refill scheme along our Boroughs shorelines!

  3. Ards and North Down Borough Council
  4. Plastic Promise and Ards and North Down Borough Council logos

    Plastic Promise

    As a Council, Ards and North Down Borough Council are uniquely placed to lead the charge on SUP consumption and be exemplars to the communities of our Borough. We continue to work towards 100% implementation of our policy of eliminating unnecessary SUPs from our corporate activities both internal and external facing activities.

    Case Studies

    Compostable packaging project as covered by the BBC!

  5. Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council
  6. >Plastic Promise logo

    Plastic Promise

    "The long-term vision for Armagh City Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council to be a 'Single-Use-Plastic-Free' authority. Council is confident to work towards phasing out the use of SUP's across all premises and events."

    Case Studies

    Cigarette Ballot Bins (in partnership with Tackling Plastic NI)

  7. Belfast City Council
  8. Plastic Promise

    Coming soon

    Plastic Promise and Belfast City Council logos


    Case Studies

    Cloth Nappy Scheme

    Celebration of Mending

    Bring your own cup campaign

  9. Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council
  10. Plastic Promise

    Plastic Promise and Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council logos

    "Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council pledge to reduce plastic use with simple, practical actions. The main driver to achieve this is PlasticSmart, an established initiative aimed at decreasing the amount of plastic generated in our Borough. To demonstrate commitment council will:

    1. Address single use plastics (SUP) in our operations and services to reduce and remove consumer SUP where viable and practical
    2. Work within supply chains to reduce and remove single use plastic
    3. Work with elected members, staff and our communities to change behaviour towards single use plastic."

    Case Studies

    To follow

  11. Derry and Strabane District Council
  12. Plastic Promise

    Plastic Promise and Derry and Strabane District Council logos

    "Derry and Strabane District Council have already begun to look at ways of reducing plastic usage. All plastic drinking cups have been removed from our water fountains and therefore people are required to use their own bottles / cups for their water. When sports events are being held, council have reduced the provision of plastic drinking bottles. Council are also hoping to incorporate sustainable packaging into their events i.e. make it mandatory for vendors at events to only use compostable / sustainable food packaging and eliminate use of plastics."

    Case Studies

    Compostable packaging at Slow Food Festival

  13. Fermanagh and Omagh District Council
  14. Plastic Promise

    Plastic Promise and Fermanagh and Omagh District Council logos

    "Fermanagh and Omagh District Council pledge to reduce single use plastics in Council buildings and to assist householders, businesses and community groups across the district to take steps to reduce their plastic waste. The Council pledge to phase out single use plastics within Council offices and buildings, provide staff with water bottles and ensure water refill stations are in place in Council buildings. To roll out refill stations to public parks in the district. To work on an education and community litter programme to tackle plastic litter in our environment."

    Case Studies

    Reusable Nappy Scheme

    Litter Pick Scheme

    Water Refill Scheme

  15. Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council
  16. Plastic Promise

    Plastic Promise and Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council logos

    "Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council aims to reduce the use of single-use plastics where possible throughout all council facilities, events and activities. The Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council said: 'We are all aware of the damage single use plastics can do to our countryside, environment and wildlife. At Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, we are committed to doing our bit and hope you will too. By signing this pledge, we are promising to reduce single use plastic at our council premises and events. Together we can adopt small changes to reduce single use plastic for example, carry a reusable bottle, reusable travel cup and a shopping bag when out and about."

    Case Studies

    LCCC Expand Water Refill Stations 

  17. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council
  18. Plastic Promise

    Plastic Promise and Mid and East Antrim Council logos

    "Mid and East Antrim Council are committed to reducing single-use plastics within our Council buildings. Removal of plastic cups is the first step along the journey to reduce/eliminate all types of single-use plastic.

    1. Council pledge to remove all single-use plastic cups from Council buildings, and to provide all staff with a re-usable water bottle.
    2. Council pledge to reduce our use of single-use plastics within our Council buildings over the next six to twelve months, and to encourage our suppliers to help us with this goal by identifying as many reusable and recyclable alternatives, as possible.
    3. Council pledge to continue with regular local beach cleans, local litter picks across the borough and continued educational and awareness sessions with local schools and community groups, in a bid to reduce the amount of single-use plastics in the environment, over the next twelve months and into the future.
    4. Council pledge to reduce the amount of single-use plastics used during events and will work will suppliers to source and use as many reusable and recyclable alternatives, as possible, over the next twelve months.
    5. Council pledge to reduce the amount of single use plastic purchased for operations including stationery, communications and cleansing."

    Case Studies

    Deposit Return Scheme pilot (in partnership with Bryson and Cryptocycle)

    The June Plastic Challenge!

  19. Mid Ulster District Council
  20. Plastic Promise

    Plastic Promise and Mid Ulster District Council logos

    "Mid Ulster District Council pledge to reduce single use plastics across its estate and all operations by 2030. The Council pledge to assist householders, businesses, schools and community groups across the district with actions to implement in order to reduce their plastic waste, with the continued educational and awareness programme. Council also pledge to continue with regular local litter picks and clean ups across the district."

    Case Studies

    To follow

  21. Newry, Mourne and Down District Council
  22. Plastic Promise

    Plastic Promise and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council logos

    "Newry, Mourne and Down District Council recognises that discarded plastics, including non-recyclable food containers, cups and straws are a major environmental pollutant and of detrimental impact to our local environment. As an organisation employing 1040 staff, with a district population of 177,000 we must play a civic role and lead by example in the battle against plastic.

    By December 2019 Newry Mourne and Down District Council will have adopted its Single Use Plastics Policy and Strategy/Action Plan which will phase out all Single Use Plastics across the Council. We have already bought extra crockery and metal utensils and banned use of plastic plates, cups, knives, forks and spoons in catering. All staff have received a reusable drinking bottle and mains water fountains are being installed in council buildings and at outside locations for staff and public to refill. A cross departmental officer working group on single use plastics has been set up and sustainability, procurement, waste and events teams are working to ban single use plastics across all our operations."

    Case Studies

    To follow

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