High-speed train operator Eurostar (London / UK; www.eurostar.com) has promised to slash the amount of plastics it uses on its train services between the UK and France and Belgium by 50% over the next three years. How much plastics waste this will amount to is not known. Upon an enquiry by Plasteurope.com, the company declined to make public the amount of plastics the company currently uses.

The company, which runs high-speed trains from European hubs including Paris and Brussels to London, has set up a working group to analyse how it can reduce plastics usage across its network and find alternative materials. It said the reduction was part of its 10-point plan in support of its "Tread Lightly" environmental commitments and in line with the 2016 Paris climate agreement and the "Science Based Targets Initiative" (www.sciencebasedtargets.org).

Eurostar has already phased out the use of plastic straws on its services and plans other initiatives to cut plastics use and subsequent waste. It said it would also halve paper ticketing by 2020 by the use of digital technology.

Nicolas Petrovic, Eurostar’s chief executive, said his company had cut its carbon footprint by more than 30% since 2010. “High-speed rail plays a pivotal role in encouraging the switch to more sustainable modes of transport and we are committed to increasing our energy efficiency and reducing our waste across the business.”