Waitrose bans plastic toys in children's magazines in latest eco drive

A girl of ten has inspired Waitrose to stop selling children’s magazines that contain plastic disposable toys after launching a campaign.

Skye Neville has called on magazine publishers to improve their carbon footprints and stop giving away ‘cheap plastic rubbish’.

Now Waitrose has pledged to do away with magazines that come with the items over the next eight weeks, saying they do not last long and cannot easily be recycled.

Waitrose has pledged to do away with magazines that come with the items over the next eight weeks, saying they do not last long and cannot easily be recycled

Skye’s efforts have even made it to the House of Commons after her MP Liz Saville Roberts tabled a motion to reduce free plastic toys earlier this month

It has also urged publishers to replace ‘pointless plastic’ with alternatives. The ban will not include educational or reusable craft items.

Skye, from Gwynedd, North Wales, launched a petition to ban the toys after writing to the publishers of her favourite magazine Horrible Histories. So far, it has attracted more than 3,000 signatures.

Her efforts have even made it to the House of Commons after her MP Liz Saville Roberts tabled a motion to reduce free plastic toys earlier this month.

The Daily Mail has long campaigned against plastic pollution and is proud to support the Great British Spring Clean to be held between May 28 and June 13.

Marija Rompani, partner and director of sustainability and ethics at Waitrose, said: “While we know these magazines are popular with children, some of the unnecessary plastic attached to them has become really excessive.

“Many in the younger generation really care about the planet and are the ones inheriting the problem of plastic pollution.

“We urge publishers to find alternatives, and other retailers to follow our lead in ending the pointless plastic that comes with children’s magazines.”

It is the latest move by the supermarket to cut down on single-use plastic, which has also seen it end the sale of Christmas crackers with plastic toys or glitter, and has a push to make all its own-label packaging recycled, reusable or home compostable by 2023.