Manchester hospitals worst in the North West for disposable cup use
More than eight and a half million disposable cups were used by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust between 2013-2017
Environmental campaigners in Greater Manchester have criticised the city's NHS Trusts, after it was revealed one of them ordered more than eight and a half million disposable cups over a four year period.
The figures reveal Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust was the worst in the North West when it came to ordering single-use plastic drinking cups.
It comes just weeks after Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham pledged to make Manchester the first city region in the UK to completely ditch single-use plastics, with a number of bars, restaurants and hotels signing up to the pledge.
Environmental activist and keen scuba diver Doug Robertson told us it is a 'shocking' announcement.
"It's not a surprise, in the UK we throw away at least 2 billion coffee cups each year.
"I've eaten in hospital canteens and they are often the worst offenders, frequently using polystyrene food trays, plastic stirrers and sauces in plastic sachets. These take hundreds of years to break down.
"As public sector organisations, hospitals should be leading the way. Hospitals have an important role in achieving Andy Burnham's vision of being a plastic-free city.
"Much of our plastic finds its way into the rivers and the sea. I've seen first hand what impact this can have on our marine wildlife. Beautiful whales that hoover up plankton, will also eat plastic debris and it will end up in their stomachs and result in their deaths.
"Hospitals can start by always including a clause for canteens to be sustainable in their contracts. This means always avoiding single use plastic when serving food and drink. This includes coffee served in a reasonable mug, and a discount for people who bring their own cup.
"People love convenience and coffee. We need businesses to take responsibility to help us change these habits and make it easier to make these changes. The shift is definitely happening and it would be brilliant if hospitals could also take the pledge to stamp out plastic use."
We have contacts Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust for a statement but have yet to hear from them.