England to ban single-use plastics and offer biodegradable alternatives

A ban on single-use plastics will begin in England on Sunday with all takeaway stores, shops and food vendors stopped from handing out plastic cutlery and food containers.

Stores will have to offer biodegradable alternatives in a move that aims to reduce plastic pollution.

England uses 2.7 billion items of single-use cutlery every year, most of which are plastic with the average person using 37 single-use cutlery and 18 single-use plastic plates every year.

Plastic pollution takes hundreds of years to break down, damaging oceans, rivers and land.

The single-use plastic ban follows a similar move by Scotland last year with a ban in Wales soon to follow.

[stevewiles]

When are they going to ban rubber boats?

[muzzleflash]

Single use plastic straws bad.

Depleted uranium rounds for Ukraine good.

[rogerruhland]

I’m so old I remember when paper bags were the problem and would destroy the ecosystem and plastic bags were the answer.

[adammijares]

Do they realize how many things are single use plastic? It’s absolutely mind boggling how many things are single use.

[shame]

Such nonsense 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ paper straws are gross and toxic ..wooden cutlery is gross 🤢

[mk]

Yep, as if paper straws are something to write home about huh? How about paper cutlery.. That's guaranteed to be a hit..

[LovelyLass-nbop]

😂😂 and yet grooming gangs aren't a problem

[amigaone]

It's not plastic that's bad it's the Litterbugs until they start enforcing the law and fining these people it wont stop.

[SavantPete]

It's funny how it's expected for the common man to change their life style while others in power or hogh status still ruin it

[meredithisme]

And yet grooming gangs are okay for the environment

[LaraCroft]

Have you ever tasted the biodegradable straws? God they taste like chemicals. We should be using paper cups or refillable

[TheeeeLastToFall]

In Seattle they banned plastic straws and switched to paper, it's like the paper falls apart in your mouth hmmmm...

[hotwheels]

why not ban plastic lithium battery cases.

[rodweinmeyer]

A paper straw in a plastic wrapper for a cardboard cup with a plastic lid

[vivrowe]

Plenty of plastic everything, it great, wash and reuse if you want. Plastic is in everything including her microphone, better ban that too!

[PM-oqdg]

Why should we on NSW be the only miserable ones? Bamboo cutlery tastes soooo good. And of course don't forget those paper straws. I am so sick of this tree hugging nonsense.

[davidcarter]

You would think a first world nation such as the UK would have a proper waste disposal system. The reality is that almost all of the plastics is the seas come from countries that don't. Banning single use plastic in the UK will do nothing to solve the problem.

[kiandrah]

We will never surrender our rooms of plastic straws!

[WilliamCooper-lf]

Brits need to take their own stainless steel cups/glasses, straws and cutlery. Why go through the ridiculous step of making biodegradable everything, when people can use long lasting, reusable alternatives?

[ThePresidentOfAustralia]

My Samsung TV turns into a steam gaming console? 😮