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

31 August 2021 by
Single-use plastic cutlery and plates could be banned in England

Single-use plastic plates, cutlery and polystyrene cups could be banned in England as the government steps up its ‘war on plastic'.

Ministers hope the move will lead to businesses using more sustainable alternatives and reduce the amount of plastics harming the environment. A full list of single-use items to be considered for a ban will be published in the coming weeks ahead of a public consultation launching in the autumn.

It is estimated that each person uses 18 single-use plastic plates and 37 single-use plastic cutlery items each year in England. The durability of plastic means the items can last for centuries in landfill or as litter in the countryside or ocean.

A government ban on single-use plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds came into force in England in October 2020.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said: "We've all seen the damage that plastic does to our environment. It is right that we put in place measures that will tackle the plastic carelessly strewn across our parks and green spaces and washed up on beaches.

"We have made progress to turn the tide on plastic, banning the supply of plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds, while our carrier bag charge has cut sales by 95% in the main supermarkets.

"Now we are looking to go a step further as we build back greener. These plans will help us stamp out the unnecessary use of plastics that wreak havoc with our natural environment."

Ministers are planning a range of legislation to tackle pollution as part of an upcoming Environment Bill. Consultations on introducing a deposit return scheme for drinks containers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and requiring packaging producers to cover the cost of dealing with waste were held earlier this year.

UKHospitality previously warned a deposit return scheme could create a 'logistical nightmare' for hospitality businesses.

A tax on plastics that don't meet a minimum threshold of at least 30% recycled content is due to be introduced from April 2022.

Image: Africa Studio / Shutterstock

The Caterer Breakfast Briefing Email

Start the working day with The Caterer’s free breakfast briefing email

Sign Up and manage your preferences below

Check mark icon
Thank you

You have successfully signed up for the Caterer Breakfast Briefing Email and will hear from us soon!

Jacobs Media Group is honoured to be the recipient of the 2020 Queen's Award for Enterprise.

The highest official awards for UK businesses since being established by royal warrant in 1965. Read more.

close

Ad Blocker detected

We have noticed you are using an adblocker and – although we support freedom of choice – we would like to ask you to enable ads on our site. They are an important revenue source which supports free access of our website's content, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.

trade tracker pixel tracking