England is taking its ban on single-use plastics even further by restricting the sale of plastic cutlery, plates, bowls, trays, balloon sticks and certain types of polystyrene cups and food containers (through engaged). According to an announcement the UK government’s website states that the new ban will take effect in October this year.
Once the ban goes into effect, people will no longer be able to buy or get these single-use plastics from businesses, including retailers, restaurants, food vendors, and other venues.
However, the ban does not affect the plastic plates, trays or bowls that come with pre-packaged food items, as they are already included in the country’s legislation. Extended producer responsibility scheme. This initiative encourages companies to use recyclable packaging and to “achieve higher recycling targets”.
The upcoming ban expands on the country’s existing rules around plastic products. 2018, England introduced a ban on microbeads, the tiny pieces of plastic added to personal care products that can enter waterways and harm marine life. It later limited availability of single-use plastic straws, stirrers and cotton swabs in 2020, and introduced a tax on imported plastic packaging that did not contain at least 30 percent recycled content last year. The country too costs for use of plastic bags.
“By introducing a ban later this year, we are redoubled our commitment to eliminating all avoidable plastic waste,” said Rebecca Pow, England’s environment minister, in a statement. England’s ban follows Scotland and Wales’ move to limit the sale of plastic cutlery and plates last year, and comes after the The European Union did the same in 2021.
However, some critics argue that tackling rampant is still not enough plastic pollution that causes great damage on the planet. As a journalist and former Guardian environment editor, John Vidal, points out, England’s ban is “too limited in its scope” as it doesn’t “cover single-use plastic water bottles, make no mention of plastic bags and doesn’t even attempt to control the burning of plastic waste in incinerators.” Meanwhile, Meg Randles, a political campaigner at Greenpeace UK, welcomes the changebut says the move is “long overdue” and “still a drop in the ocean compared to the action needed to stem the plastic tide.”
In addition to a comprehensive ban on single-use plastics, there are also “carefully considered” restrictions on wet wipes, tobacco filters and sachets in the country. It may also require companies to label plastic products to inform customers how to properly dispose of them, and is developing a bottle return program.
