More than a million disposable coffee cups and lids were used by the House of Commons last year - equivalent to 1,500 per MP - it has been revealed.

Plastic straws, stirrers, condiment sachets, plastic cutlery, disposable water bottles and coffee cups were all bought in vast quantities across the Palace of Westminster, a Freedom of Information request by environmental charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) showed.

Despite the Government’s launch of a 25-year environmental plan with a focus on tackling plastic waste, data showed the Houses of Parliament purchased more than two million single-use plastic items in 2017, including 200,000 soft drink bottles.

Labour MP Kerry McCarthy said it was time for Parliament to get its “house in order” and take a lead on the national issue of throwaway plastic.

“The recent series of Blue Planet II has brought to public attention the serious damage plastic is causing to our marine life and habitats,” she said. “Pressure is rightly growing on all of us to take action to reduce our plastic footprint.”

A separate investigation by the Liberal Democrats revealed the Commons used almost 4 million disposable coffee cups over the past five years. It showed the chamber’s catering service bought 500 reusable “keep cups” in 2013, but only four of them had been sold by 2017.

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A House of Commons spokesperson told The Independent it was “committed to reducing the amount of waste across the parliamentary estate” and that it operated a mixed recycling scheme “to ensure as much as possible of our waste is recycled”.

"The House Service is currently reviewing the sustainability and environmental management of single use disposable plastics in the House of Commons," he added.

The UK currently uses seven million disposable coffee cups every day. Though often considered recyclable, paper coffee cups are lined with a layer of plastic that makes them impossible to process in normal recycling facilities. It means the vast majority of coffee cups end up being incinerated or sent to landfill.

A breakdown of single-use plastic items bought by the Houses of Parliament in 2017 (Surfers Against Sewage)

The Independent has launched its Cut the Cup Waste campaign to help tackle the problem.

Hugo Tagholm, SAS chief executive, said: “The engine to drive the war on plastic waste is in the Palace of Westminster where our elected politicians can pass progressive new legislation to decouple society from its addiction to avoidable, single-use plastics.

“They must also set an example in refusing avoidable plastics, and send a strong message to the world.”

Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Show all 6 1 /6 Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Plastic water bottle for a reusable beverage container Instead of continually buying drinks in plastic bottles you can switch to a reusable beverage container and reduce your single-use of plastics. Selfridges' Bobble 550ml filtered water bottle costs £12.95 and includes a replaceable carbon filter that filters water as you drink, removing chlorine and organic contaminants in the process. You can buy it from selfridges.com Getty/Selfridges Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Coffee cup for a Travel coffee mug It is estimated that the UK throws away around 2.5bn disposable coffee cups a year and almost all are incinerated, exported or sent to landfill because their plastic lining makes them expensive to recycle. The new Latte Levy in the UK means there will now be a 25p charge on every disposable coffee cup bought by consumers. Pret A Manger announced that it will double its discount to 50p in an effort to reduce waste. By swapping to a reusable cup you will be able to help cut the cost of disposable coffee cups. This Keep Cup Brew, cork edition, travel cup in Fika is just one of the many available to purchase. It fits under most commercial coffee machines, is splash-proof and ideal for transporting your coffee whilst on the go. You can buy this particular cup for £19.99 from trouva.com. Getty/Trouva Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Plastic bags for reusable cloth bags An eco-friendly alternative to an ordinary plastic bag is this lightweight shopping bag. It comes with a practical pillowcase pocket and features a black and white ink splatter design. Convenient and durable it also has a matte black spring clip to attach it where you need it. You can buy this from paperchase.co.uk for just £5.00. Getty/Paperchase Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Coffee pods for a pot of coffee Cut your plastic coffee pod usage with a cafetiere. This Barista and Co, 3 Cup Gold Cafetiere, from Habitat offers a simple way to brew and serve in style. Made from borosilicate glass and plated stainless steel with an ergonomically designed handle, the cafetiere is built to last and a pleasure to use; a fine metal filter produces a smooth coffee that retains its natural oils. You can buy it for £30 from habitat.co.uk. Getty/Habitat Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Balloons for eco-friendly decorations Instead of using plastic balloons at your party try swapping them for some eco-friendly bunting. Handmade in Scotland, the bunting comprises thirteen brightly coloured pennants which spell out the words 'Happy Birthday', and uses lettering that has been printed onto 100 per cent recycled card. Included is 11ft of natural jute twine to hang the pennants on, and everything comes packaged in a cello bag. You can buy this bunting from Little Silverleaf on notonthehighstreet.com for £12.50. Getty/notonthehighstreet Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Plastic straw for a reusable bamboo one Swap plastic straws for reusable ones made of bamboo. These straws are handmade in Bali and crafted by local balinese artisans. Made of organic and natural materials they are the best eco-friendly alternative to plastic, steel or glass straws. You can purchase them from Bali Boo on Amazon.co.uk for £13.99. PA/Bali Boo/Amazon

Following an investigation, MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee called for the Government to introduce a 25p “latte levy” on disposable coffee cups.