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<p>Through the Government’s Resources and Waste Strategy for England, published in
December last year, sets out our plans to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste from
all sectors, including the tourism industry.</p><p>We have already made good progress,
banning microbeads, removing 15.6 billion plastic bags from circulation with our 5p
charge, and committing to restrict the sale and/or distribution of plastic straws,
drink stirrers, and plastic-stemmed cotton buds from April 2020.</p><p>Furthermore,
the 25 Year Environment Plan announced that water companies have been working to create
a network of free water refill points across England. Defra is working with Water
UK on this roll-out, which is managed by City to Sea. This Thursday 1 August, locations
for the first 50 public drinking water foundations for London were announced, part
of a £5 million scheme. In September last year, water companies in England published
their plans for reducing single-use plastic bottles in their regions. Ministers have
written to many retailers, coffee shops and transport hubs asking them to provide
tap water, allowing the public to refill bottles. We are also working across Government,
for example with the Department for Transport, to encourage transport premises to
extend the provision of free water and to publicise this.</p>
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