The UK government will imminently announce an oceans-protection package to ban single-use plastic cutlery in England, people familiar with the plans said.
(Bloomberg) — The UK government will imminently announce an oceans-protection package to ban single-use plastic cutlery in England, people familiar with the plans said.
The use of disposable plastic plates and cups will also face the chop under plans Environment Secretary Therese Coffey is due to announce in coming days, according to the people, who spoke anonymously about unannounced policies. The Scottish and Welsh devolved governments have already taken similar action.
The plan — first reported by the Financial Times — extends UK bans on plastic items after former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government outlawed plastic straws and stirrers in 2020. The department for environment and rural affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Plastic is a growing environmental problem worldwide because it often doesn’t decompose and can take centuries to break down. That’s led to an accumulation of waste in the oceans and on beaches. The Marine Conservation Society, a UK nonprofit which runs an annual beach clean-up, said its volunteers retrieved an average 309 items of litter per 100 meters of beach in 2022, with 67% of items made of plastic or polystyrene.
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