The British Environment Agency announced on January 14 that the UK will ban the use of a range of disposable plastic products, such as cutlery, plates and bowls, from October 2023 to limit plastic pollution.
According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), single-use plastic plates, bowls and trays, as well as certain types of cups and boxes made of polystyrene, will be banned from being used and sold in shops, restaurants, hotels, including takeaway food . The period until October will serve as a transitional adaptation period, during which time businesses that do not comply with the ban will be fined and criminally charged for repeated offences.
The UK Environment Agency said in a statement that the decision followed the government’s public consultation, with 95% of respondents backing the ban. The government says that of the 2.7 billion pieces of single-use tableware used in the UK each year, most of which is plastic, only 10% end up being recycled.
Environment Secretary Therese Coffey said she was “proud of the efforts” being made to limit plastic pollution and protect the ocean. She also mentioned that a ban on plastic items such as “marbles, straws, stirrers, cotton swab sticks” had previously been imposed. She also said sales of plastic bags in major supermarkets had plummeted by 97%. However, the ban does not apply to dishes and trays used for “pre-packaged dishes and food in buffets”.
The British government is also working on new initiatives targeting plastic flowers, coffee filters and sachets, the report said. Environmental groups congratulated the British government on the plastic ban, but at the same time believed that “we are already inundated with plastic, and this decision has only played the role of a mop, and has not completely turned off the tap”. The environmental group said in a statement: “We need the government to adopt a stronger plastic reduction strategy to allow more items to enter the recyclable system.”
But for most of us, disposable plastic tableware provides us with a lot of convenience, especially when we go out to eat, but disposable tableware is a disposable product after all, and it is still very unfriendly compared to wooden tableware The editor recommends that you use wooden tableware. Of course, if you want to use wooden tableware, you can contact us to purchase.
