Sadiq Khan plans water fountain revival in London to cut plastic pollution
Written by News on 04/12/2017
Plans for a new network of drinking water fountains have been unveiled by London’s mayor in a bid to cut plastic pollution.
Sadiq Khan said he wants to reduce the number of single-use plastic bottles and cups being used in the capital, as the Government revealed it was considering improving access to water fountains across the country.
It comes amid concerns that more than a million birds and 100,000 sea mammals and turtles die each year from eating plastic waste or getting tangled in it.
:: Attenborough calls for action on plastic waste to save ‘future of humanity’
As well as proposing extra water fountains, the London mayor wants businesses to make tap water available to the public and has written to the Government to discuss trialling a deposit return scheme.
A spokesman for Mr Khan said: "Sadiq supports boroughs in identifying suitable locations for water fountains and bottle-refill stations during the planning process in new or redeveloped public spaces, such as town centres, shopping malls, parks and squares."
The draft proposals for London do not set out the number of new water fountains that would be installed or when they would be introduced, the spokesman added.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove has said that water fountains were one of the solutions the Government was considering to tackle the "surge of plastic clogging our rivers and oceans".
The Treasury launched a consultation last month that will consider how taxes or charges on single-use plastics could cut down on waste.
Pret A Manger, JD Wetherspoon and Iceland are among retailers to have announced plans to curb plastic waste, while the Natural History Museum has said it will stop selling single-use plastic water bottles.
:: Shocking photos emerge of ‘sea plastic waste’
The Scottish Government stole a march on Westminster when First Minister Nicola Sturgeon committed the SNP to the introduction of a deposit return scheme for drinks bottles.
Earlier this year, Sky launched its Ocean Rescue campaign – which partly prompted the Scottish Government’s action – aimed at reducing the amount of plastic waste that ends up in the world’s seas.
Sky has said it will remove all single-use plastics from its operations, products and supply chain by 2020.
:: You can find out more about the Sky Ocean Rescue and how to get involved here.
(c) Sky News 2017: Sadiq Khan plans water fountain revival in London to cut plastic pollution
