Single-use items such as plastic cutlery, plates and trays are to be banned in England in a bid to cut pollution, the government has confirmed.
Figures suggest that each year England uses around 1.1 billion single-use plates and 4.25 billion pieces of this type of cutlery, only 10% of which are recycled after use.
Plastic items related to takeaway food and drink, including food packaging and cutlery, account for the largest proportion of litter in the world’s oceans, according to the research.
Now Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey is set to ban a range of single-use plastic items, confirming reports from last month.
The move follows a consultation on the issue by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) which ran from November 2021 to February 2022.
“A plastic fork can take 200 years to break down, that’s two centuries in a landfill or polluting our oceans,” Coffey said.
“I’m determined to drive action to tackle this problem head-on. We’ve already made significant strides in recent years, but we know there’s more to do, and we’ve once again listened to the public’s calls.
“This new ban will have a huge impact in stopping the pollution of billions of pieces of plastic and will help protect the natural environment for future generations.”
The response to the consultation on proposals to ban single-use plastic items commonly ordered in England will be published on Saturday. The Guardian understands that plastic cutlery, plates and trays will be included in the ban.
Similar bans have already been made in Scotland and Wales, while the UK government banned single-use plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds in England in 2020.
However, it seems that the new movement is not complete. According to the Daily Mail, the ban covers plastic plates, bowls and trays used for food and drink eaten in a restaurant, cafe or takeaway, but not in settings such as supermarkets and shops.
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According to the consultation paper published in November 2021, this is because in the latter case the items would be classified as “primary packaging”, which the government says it is tackling through other means.
The decision to ban single-use plastics has previously been hailed as a welcome step by campaigners, although some have criticized the slow pace of progress and limited scope of the ban, while others have stressed the need to focus on reducing waste at source. .
Megan Randles, political campaigner at Greenpeace UK, welcomed the move but warned: “This is like picking up a mop instead of turning off the tap.
“We need the government to deliver a meaningful plastic reduction strategy, which means introducing plastic reduction targets and a proper reuse and recharge scheme.”