NHS trusts across England have bought more than 600 million disposable cups since 2013, with the East and North Herts NHS Trust purchasing 11,139,673 – the most in the East of England.

A spokesman for the NHS trust – which manages Stevenage’s Lister Hospital and the New QEII Hospital in Welwyn Garden City – said: “The NHS trust takes its sustainability responsibilities very seriously, which is why our catering services now use cups made of biodegradable material. We are also looking to make better use of crockery that can be washed, as well as supporting the use of people’s own reusable mugs and cups in our catering outlets. We are seeking similar changes in other areas where disposable cups are used.”

A spokesman for Defra – the government department for environmental protection – said: “Throwaway culture has to stop and we are ensuring central government departments and their agencies reduce the plastics they buy when catering contracts come up for renewal.”