Plastic cutlery and cups will be removed from all cafés in leisure centres run by Parkwood Leisure, in a move that will stop more than two million coffee cups going to landfill every year.

The operator estimates an annual saving of 200kg in single-use plastics by switching from plastic straws, cutlery and cups stocked at its Café Vita sites, across 32 of its leisure centres.

Director of catering Matt De’ath said: “It's an exciting time to look at our environmental credentials and challenge ourselves to continually examine our practices and understand what more we can do while remaining commercially competitive.”

The decision to cease buying single-use plastics comes as public concern grows over the environmental impact of plastic waste, with more than eight million tons of plastics dumped in the ocean each year, according to the Plastics Ocean Foundation.

Instead of plastic, Parkwood will source environmentally friendly materials, including paper straws and wooden cutlery.

All takeaway coffee cups will be replaced with 100 per cent compostable cups and lids, equating to a reduction of more than two million cups and lids a year across the Parkwood Leisure business going to landfill.

Café Vita will also introduce a reusable coffee cup, offering customers a discount each time they reuse their cup and will work with resource recovery solutions company Olleco to convert food waste into green energy.