The move intends to ban single-use items like plastic plates, trays, bowls, cutlery, balloon sticks and certain kinds of polystyrene cups and food containers to protect the environment
England to ban single-use items like plastic cutlery, plates and polystyrene trays. (Credit: Евгения Кузнецова from Pixabay)
The British government is set to ban all single-use items like plastic cutlery, plates and polystyrene trays in England to reduce environmental pollution.
According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the move intends to ban single-use items like plastic plates, trays, bowls, cutlery, balloon sticks and certain kinds of polystyrene cups and food containers to protect the environment.
The new announcement covers mostly the plastic packaging of food and drinks from restaurants and cafes, not in supermarkets and stores. The confirmation of the government’s decision will be unveiled on 14 January 2023.
Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said: “I am determined to drive forward action to tackle this issue head on. We’ve already taken major steps in recent years – but we know there is more to do, and we have again listened to the public’s calls.
“This new ban will have a huge impact to stop the pollution of billions of pieces of plastics and help to protect the natural environment for future generations.”
The latest decision follows similar moves by Scotland and Wales. England already banned single-use plastic straws, stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds in 2020.
In June last year, the Scottish government banned businesses from using a range of single-use plastic goods. A similar ban was approved in Wales in December and will come into force later in 2023.
The environment campaigners applauded the ban but demanded a wider-ranging plastic reduction strategy, reported BBC. Some of them criticised the slow pace of progress and the limited scope of the ban.
Greenpeace UK political campaigner Megan Randles said: “We’re dealing with a plastic flood, and this is like reaching for a mop instead of turning off the tap.
“We need the government to deliver a meaningful plastic reduction strategy, which means bringing in plastic reduction targets and a proper reuse and refill scheme.”