Environment secretary Michael Gove has announced plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds will be under strict regulation from April 2020.
Only plastic drinks stirrers will be totally banned from sale – currently we use 316 million a year in the UK.
Shops and supermarkets will not sell plastic straws, but licensed pharmacies can sell them to those with disabilities.
Disabled groups have highlighted how straws are essential for everyday life and that a total ban could lead to dehydration risks.
-Steel straws can't be used for hot drinks.
-Paper disintegrates and cause people to choke and huge numbers of disabled people are unable to cough properly and clear their throats.
-Bamboo are too wide and hard to suck liquid through. https://t.co/ZUNUVs2SHr— Henry Fraser (@henryfraser0) May 10, 2019
Bars and restaurants will not be allowed to display plastic straws or automatically hand them out – but they’ll be able to provide them if people ask.
The government estimates that England’s annual use of straws (4.7bn) will fall to 44 million when the new restrictions take place.
Today I am taking further action to turn the tide on plastic pollution. Items such as plastic straws & stirrers are often used for just a few minutes but take hundreds of years to break down, ending up in our seas & oceans and harming precious marine life #PassOnPlastic pic.twitter.com/sGl13FGQvp
— Michael Gove (@michaelgove) May 22, 2019
As part of today’s announcement, Mr Gove said: “These items are often used for just a few minutes but take hundreds of years to break down, ending up in our seas and oceans and harming precious marine life.
“So today I am taking action to turn the tide on plastic pollution, and ensure we leave our environment in a better state for future generations.”
Too little too late?
While the new controls cover small single use items, campaigners are critical that the move does not go far enough. They say the controls should include plastic bottles, plates, cutlery, cups and more.
WWF called for a ban on all “avoidable single-use plastic” by 2025 and said ministers needed “to really ramp up their commitments”.
The Marine Conservation Society, said Mr Gove needed to increase recycling rates. Different local authorities have different recycling policies which conservationists call confusing and inconsistent.
The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) said Mr Gove should phase out single-use items altogether and warned that alternative materials might still be harmful.
