England is set to ban a suite of single-use plastic items including cutlery, plates and trays, according to environment secretary Thérèse Coffey.
“A plastic fork can take 200 years to decompose, that is two centuries in landfill or polluting our oceans,” said Coffey.
– Thérèse Coffey, Environment Secretary
Every year, England consumes around 1.1bn single-use plates and 4.25bn pieces of cutlery. However, only 10% of plastic items are recycled.
The ban will affect plastic items used for food and drinks at restaurants, cafes and takeaway, but not supermarkets and shops.
Similar bans have already been made in Scotland and Wales. In 2020, England banned single-use plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds.
