As of Monday, Wales will initiate a ban on single-use plastics which is set to help combat the flow of plastic waste into the environment. Takeaway shops on Caroline Street, which is one of the busiest takeaway hotspots in Wales, have been preparing for the new rules. Dubbed Chippy Lane, the area is lined with kebab and fish and chip shops making food to go for hungry party-goers. Several traders voiced concerns over the scramble to obtain increasingly expensive eco-friendly alternatives in the run-up to the ban.
While finalizing preparations, Sam Raslan, manager of Fellas kebab shop, commented that the switch to more eco-friendly equipment was proving costly and hikes in ingredient and energy costs were also putting pressure on his business. Additionally, Mr. Ali of Tony’s Fish Bar also agreed that new environmentally friendly containers increased his company’s costs but hoped prices would eventually reduce as more companies adopt the green alternatives.
The ban will cover single-use plastic plates, cotton buds, cutlery, drink stirrers, and balloon sticks, together with disposable cups and takeaway food containers expanded or foamed extruded polystyrene. The first stage of the ban will also include plastic drinking straws and is aimed at combating wasteful use of plastics in Wales. Consequently, the next stage will look to outlaw single-use carrier bags, polystyrene lids for food containers and cups, and plastics made of the additive oxo-degradable, which will come into effect ahead of the end of the Senedd term in 2026.
Welsh Government guidance in preparation for the ban encourages the swap to non-plastic disposable products made of materials such as wood, card, or paper. Dr. Rebecca Colley-Jones, whose company Ynys Resources advises on sustainability, emphasized that it is important to change our “throw-away society” and to encourage customers to bring their own containers if possible, in order to create a more environmentally aware and responsible society
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