The legislation to ban the supply of plastic straws,
stirrers and cotton buds will be laid in Parliament today
(Tuesday, 3 March), marking an important step in the
Government’s fight against single-use plastics.
In England, it is
estimated that we use 4.7 billion plastic straws,
316 million plastic stirrers and 1.8 billion
plastic-stemmed cotton buds every year. An estimated 10% of
cotton buds are flushed down toilets and can end
up in waterways and oceans and threaten precious marine
wildlife.
Following a public consultation in Autumn 2018 which saw
huge support, the Government confirmed in May
2019 that it would implement a ban with exceptions
to ensure that those with medical needs or a disability are
able to access plastic straws.
In a bid to strike the right balance between reducing
environmental impact while protecting the rights of people
with medical conditions and disabilities, registered
pharmacies will be allowed to sell plastic straws over the
counter or online. Catering establishments such as
restaurants, pubs and bars will not be able to display
plastic straws, automatically hand them out, or offer them
– however, these establishments will be able to provide
them on request.
The Government will carry out a stocktake after one year to
assess the impact of these measures and whether the balance
is correct.
Environment Minister said:
We must turn the tide on the widespread use of single-use
plastics and the threat they pose to our natural
environments. Our ban on plastic straws, stirrers and
cotton buds is yet another measure to clamp down on
unnecessary plastic so we can better protect our precious
wildlife and leave our environment in a better state for
future generations.
This ban strikes the right balance, ensuring that we
accommodate those with medical needs or disabilities
while also protecting the environment.
The ban on straws, stirrers and cotton buds is just one of
a range of measures to eliminate all avoidable plastic
waste, underpinned by the Government’s landmark Resources
and Waste Strategy. Other key government actions
include a world-leading ban on
microbeads, introducing a 5p charge on plastic
bags in major supermarkets which has reduced usage by
90%, and consulting on introducing a
deposit return scheme to drive-up the recycling of
drinks containers.
- The Statutory Instrument will be laid in Parliament,
entitled: Environmental Protection (Plastic Straws, Cotton
buds and Stirrers) (England) Regulations 2020. It will be
debated and approved by Parliament in the usual way
-
Single-use
plastics can be defined as all products that are
made wholly or partly of plastic and are typically
intended to be used just once and/or for a short period
of time before being disposed of
- The government will ban the supply of plastic stirrers
- The government will ban the supply of plastic stemmed
cotton buds, with an exemption for scientific uses. This
will cover use in medical practice, scientific research and
forensic purposes to support criminal investigation
