In England, a ban on disposable plastic plates, utensils, and specific types of polystyrene cups and containers became effective on Sunday (1st October 2023)
Shops, takeaways and food sellers will be prohibited from employing disposable plastic items such as plastic trays, bowls, and balloon sticks. Specific varieties of polystyrene cups and containers will also fall under this ban.
This comes after a similar ban in Schotland last year, and a corresponding ban in Wales is scheduled for later this month. The ban includes disposable plastic trays, bowls, and balloon sticks, as the primary objective declared by the UK government in Westminster is to diminish plastic pollution.
Impact of single-use plastic ban
Sky News reported that Hooked Fish and Chips in West London has switched its polystyrene containers to cardboard at a cost of nearly £1,000 a year.
They reported that Bally Singh, who runs the takeaway, said, “I agree with the change; we need to be more sustainable in regard to our planet, but it is a lot for us, a small business.”
“We’ve got to make a change so quick, it’s all of a sudden. I don’t feel there’s a lot of variety out there that we can choose from.”
Recycling statistics
In England, approximately 2.7 billion items of cutlery, mostly plastic, and 721 million single-use plates are used annually. Unfortunately, only 10% of these items are recycled.
Each person uses 37 pieces of single-use cutlery and 18 single-use plastic plates every year.
In January, Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey, who introduced the ban, said, “We all know the absolutely devastating impacts that plastic can have on our environment and wildlife.
“I am proud of our efforts in this area; we have banned micro-beads, restricted the use of straws, stirrers and cotton buds, and our carrier bag charge has successfully cut sales by over 97% in the main supermarkets.”
The new regulation impacts takeout establishments, mobile food vendors, street vendors, market stalls, and businesses in the hospitality sector. Those found violating the law may be subject to fines and could bear the expenses associated with an investigation.
The ban does not apply to pre-packaged food, but producers will be encouraged to utilise recyclable packaging.
Delays in recycling reforms
The government is exploring strategies to decrease the littering of other plastic items like wet wipes, tobacco filters, and sachets. However, recent declarations postponing crucial climate objectives have angered environmental activists.
Steve Hynd, a representative from City to Sea, an organisation dedicated to combating plastic pollution, commented that while the plastic ban was a “huge step forward”, the group was “disappointed to hear more delays around recycling reforms”.
At the beginning of this year, the government disclosed a one-year postponement of packaging recycling reforms, shifting the timeline from October 2024 to October 2025.
In a recent announcement by Rishi Sunak, he indicated a series of reversals in climate policies. He stated his intention to dismiss proposals requiring individuals to have seven bins to achieve recycling objectives.
