Single-use plastic plates, cutlery and polystyrene cups are set to be banned in England, under government plans confirmed by environment secretary Therese Coffey.
The government will take action to outlaw a series of throwaway food and drink items known to pollute the rivers and oceans due to poor rates of recycling by the end of the 2023.
Responses to a long-running government consultation on proposals to ban some plastic items is set to be released next week, is thought to include plastic cutlery, trays and bowls.
“A plastic fork can take 200 years to decompose, that is two centuries in landfill or polluting our oceans,” Ms Coffey told the Mail on Sunday on the plan.
She said: “I am determined to drive forward action to tackle this issue head on. We’ve already taken major steps in recent years – but we know there is more to do, and we have again listened to the public’s calls.”
“This new ban will have a huge impact to stop the pollution of billions of pieces of plastic and help to protect the natural environment for future generations,” the environment secretary added.
Source : Independent