In order to curb the growing plastic pollution, England will begin banning a variety of single-use plastic items in October, the British government’s environment department announced.
According to the department, the bans were supported by 95% of respondents in a public consultation by the government, which led to the decision.
“We all know the absolutely devastating impacts that plastic can have on our environment and wildlife,” Environment Secretary Therese Coffey said. “These new single-use plastics bans will continue our vital work to protect the environment.”
Most plastics can remain intact for centuries and damage oceans, rivers and land where millions of tons end up as waste each year. The United Nations says decades of overuse of single-use plastics has caused a “global environmental catastrophe”.
Only 10% of the single-use cutlery and plates used in England each year are recycled, majority of which are made of plastic according to the government.
The single-use plastic trays, balloon sticks, and several varieties of polystyrene cups and food containers will also be prohibited in England.
A ban on supplying plastic straws and stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds came into force in England in 2020.
The anti-plastic advocacy group, A Plastic Planet, applauded the most recent bans but demanded more restrictions, particularly on sachets.
“The plastic sachet, the ultimate symbol of our grab and go, convenience-addicted lifestyle, should be the next target. 855 billion sachets are used annually, never to be recycled,” Sian Sutherland, the group’s co-founder, said.
The usage of other frequently littered and “problematic” plastic goods, such as wet wipes, smoke filters, and sachets, was also being considered, according to the British government.
A global survey conducted last year indicated that three out of four people want single-use plastics to be outlawed as soon as possible. Governments around the world are putting restrictions on the use of single-use plastic to varied degrees.
Author-Roberta Appiah
