Single-use plastic cutlery and plates to be banned in England

Single-use plastic cutlery and plates to be banned in England

The government has confirmed that single-use items such as plastic cutlery, plates and trays will be banned in England. 

It is not clear when the ban will come into effect, but it follows similar moves already made by Scotland and Wales. 

Environmental campaigners have welcomed the ban but called for a wider-ranging plastic reduction strategy. 

Plastic waste harmful 

In England, figures show that 1.1 billion single-use plates and more than four billion pieces of plastic cutlery are used every year. 

Plastic waste often doesn’t decompose and stay in landfills for many years, polluting soil and water. 

Each person in England uses an average of 18 single-use plastic plates and 37 items of plastic cutlery every year, according to Defra – just 10 per cent of those are recycled.

Environmental secretary Theresa Coffey is set to ban a range of single-use plastic items. 

“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.”

This latest measure does not, however, cover items found in supermarkets or shops. The government said it would address those by other means.