Single-use plastic items such as cutlery, plates, and polystyrene cups are to be banned in England by the end of this year, according to the government.
Environment secretary Therese Coffey is to announce the new initiative which aims to cut down the dependency on single-use plastics which eventually end up in rivers and seas, harming wildlife. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it comes in response to public consultations on plans to ban the supply of single-use plastics from November 2021 to February 2022.
It is estimated that each person uses 18 single-use plastic plates and 37 single-use plastic items of cutlery each year in England, according to Defra. Due to their low durability, such plastic items are often only used for a few minutes but can last for centuries in landfill.
