To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any engagement her Department is having with the hospitality sector to switch to more environmentally conscious takeaway containers.

I am committed to engaging with the hospitality sector to understanding the issues they are facing. My predecessor, Conor Murphy, met with NI Food to Go Association in October last year and the issue of single use plastics was raised.

DAERA is the lead department with policy and legislative responsibility for packaging, specifically in relation to Single Use Plastics, and Extended Producer Responsibility Schemes.

DAERA officials are working on transposing Articles 2-7, 14 and 17 of the Single Use Plastic Directive (EU) 2019/904 into domestic legislation. From this will flow several actions including producing a plan to reduce the consumption of single use plastic cups and food containers, increasing public awareness and promoting sustainable alternatives.

DAERA officials will continue to collaborate closely with stakeholders to progress these significant measures that will help drive the North’s recycling rates and contribute to our green growth, climate change and environment strategy ambitions.