EXCLUSIVE: Schools in Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife cutting out plastic straws

Forth News can reveal councils across Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife are taking steps to ban plastic straws in schools.

It comes after the Scottish Government announced last week that all cafes and canteens at Holyrood are to stop providing plastic straws, to reduce plastic waste.

A growing number of organisations have begun withdrawing them from use over concerns about the impact plastic is having on Scotland's environment.

Now, Fife Council says it has stopped stocking individual straws and is now working with suppliers of cartons to reduce plastic waste. Edinburgh Council said it is doing the same.

The local authorities in West Lothian and Midlothian Council said they are in discussion to take similar steps to reduce plastic waste in schools across the regions.

East Lothian Council did not respond to our request.

Andrew Pankhurst, from Zero Waste Scotland, says: "Any steps that we can take to start cutting these things out, whether it be plastic straws of single-use coffee cups, it makes a huge difference. All together it adds up to make a big impact.

"It's good that people are looking at solutions that can lessen the impact of this throw away society."