REDUCING plastic catering products across the Welsh public sector will be driven by a new procurement framework lead by Ceredigion County Council.

A national framework for catering packaging available for all Welsh public sector organisations will start for an initial two year period to “take organisations from using traditional catering packaging (Standard Core List) to using more environmentally friendly solutions (Green Procurement Core List), before moving on to exploring ways of further reducing plastic packaging through innovative solutions (Single Product Lines & Innovative Solutions).”

The estimated value of the framework, pre-Covid 19, is £6m, a report to cabinet adds.

A report to Ceredigion County Council’s cabinet on Tuesday (October 6) adds that there will also be potential for suppliers with limited environmentally friendly products to develop and expand their range.

Ceredigion’s procurement team volunteered to lead on the national framework following a 2017 project with other authorities to produce guidance on incorporating the aims and objectives of the Wellbeing and Future Generations Act into tender exercises and contracts, as well as the authority’s desire for a plastic-free Ceredigion.

Chairman of the Ceredigion plastic free task and finish group Cllr Alun Williams, who is also the authority’s member champion for sustainability said he was “delighted” to see the report.

He added that the work would allow choices to reduce plastic waste to be made in the supply chain, not just in Ceredigion but the whole of the Welsh public sector.

“The council can be proud of what it’s done here and I’m please to see a local company being part of that framework,” said Cllr Williams.

A private paper was included in the cabinet agenda with tender details with the public papers referencing that four companies submitted bids, one based in Ceredigion, two others in Wales and one in England.