Starting from Sunday, a ban on some single-use plastic products will be implemented across England to reduce the number of plastic items that are thrown away. Under the new rules, shops and hospitality businesses will not be allowed to provide plastic cutlery, polystyrene cups, and balloon sticks. The government’s aim is to protect the environment from plastic pollution and tackle litter. However, councils have stated that some firms are not prepared for the change.
Based on government figures, over 4 billion items of plastic cutlery and approximately 1.1 billion single-use plates are used in England annually, and the vast majority of these items cannot be recycled. These products can take several hundred years to biodegrade in landfills. From Sunday, further limitations will be implemented on the supply of single-use plastic trays, bowls, and plates, although takeaways and other businesses selling pre-packaged food are exempt.
The new ban is part of a broader initiative to eradicate avoidable plastic waste by 2042. The government has already applied world-leading bans on stirrers, straws, and cotton buds, and implemented charges for carrier bags and industry taxes on large plastic packaging imports. Additionally, Wales and Scotland have applied comparable policies to those that will come into effect in England. The ban in England will be implemented by local trading standards officials, but the local councils’ representative body has warned that some businesses and clients are not aware of the change.
While some environmental campaigners have criticised the government for not implementing broader restrictions on plastic products, this is an excellent step forward in reducing single-use plastics. Greenpeace UK’s Anna Diski has stated that token bans on a few single-use products every few years are insufficient, and the government must focus on cutting back on plastic production, instead of adopting a piecemeal approach
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