October start set for ban in England of single-use plastic tableware

A single-use plastic cup among detritus washed up on the shoreline of the Thames estuary. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs ban on the sale of similar items comes into force in October. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Single-use plastic plates, cutlery and a range of other items will be banned in England from October, to curb their “devastating” impact on the environment, the government has confirmed.

The Department for the Environment said the ban will also cover single-use plastic bowls, trays and certain types of polystyrene cups and food containers.