The government want to cut down on amount of plastic waste being sent to landfill sites (Picture: Getty/iStockphoto)
Plastic cutlery, plates and polystyrene cups could soon be a thing of the past in England under government plans.
Ministers are reportedly poised to ban single-use products which are made of materials which can’t be recycled.
It follows moves to get rid of plastic straws, drink stirrers and cotton buds.
Environment secretary Therese Coffey is set to unveil plans to phase out the items and replace them with biodegradable alternatives in the coming weeks, the Financial Times has reported.
It noted that the Scottish and Welsh Governments have already taken similar actions.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) held a public consultation on a plan from November 2021 to February this year as it looks to cut down on plastics pollution.
The changes would hit a range of plastic products, including balloon sticks and various food and beverage containers.
The government want to see the plastic products replaced with environmentally friendly alternatives (Picture: Getty/iStockphoto)
Following the consultation, the Financial Times claimed the ban was delayed by chaos in Westminster.
A Defra spokesperson said: ‘We are determined to go further and faster to reduce, reuse, and recycle more of our resources in order to transform our waste industry and deliver on our commitments in the ambitious 25 Year Environment Plan.
‘Cutting our reliance on single-use plastics is crucial.
‘Having already banned single-use straws, stirrers and cotton buds and ended the sale of billons of single-use bags with our plastic bag charge, we will be responding soon to a consultation on further bans of plastic plates, cutlery, balloon sticks and expanded and extruded polystyrene cups.’
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The government is going to announce a plan to phase out the products to cut down on pollution.
