The UK government could soon ban plastic cutlery, plates, and cups in England. According to media reports, the ministers plan to prohibit single-use products from unrecyclable products. The new move will align with the ban on plastic straws, cotton buds, and drink stirrers implemented in 2020.
A Metro report confirmed that environmental secretary Therese Coffey was deliberating a bid to curb and eventually phase out unrecyclable single-use products and replace them with biodegradable substitutes. According to some reports, similar prohibitions were already in place in Scotland and Wales.
The move to aggressively curb single-use plastics came months after the Defra (Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs) conducted a public consultation between November 2021 and February 2022. The action plan included banning plastic products like food and beverage containers, balloon sticks, etc. However, the political instability throughout the year resulted in unavoidable delays.
The Defra officially stated that it wanted to accelerate the “reduce, reuse, and recycle of resources” plans to revolutionise the waste industry. Defra added that the implemented and upcoming prohibitions on plastics were a part of its 25-Year Environmental Plan, for which the reduction of single-use plastic consumption was vital. The Defra is also deliberating plans to curb wet wipes and tobacco filters.
A news agency noted that England disposes of over 4 billion cutlery products and over a billion plates made of single-use plastics. The report stated that though it was possible to recycle these products, almost all of the single-use plastic in England ended up in landfills or litter due to “the country’s throwaway culture.” Further, the report claimed that not more than 10% of the 300 million tonnes of plastic waste met yearly is recycled, while the rest is disposed of.
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