A ban on supplying plastic straws, stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds came into force in England on October 1st, marking a milestone in the Government’s fight against single-use plastic waste to protect our environment and clean up our oceans.
This is an important step in our efforts to build back greener after the coronavirus crisis, and to improve our environmental credentials as we exit the EU. It's estimated we use 4.7 billion plastic straws, 316 million plastic stirrers, and 1.8 billion plastic-stemmed cotton buds in England every year. By banning the supply of these items, we can protect our marine wildlife and move one step closer to our ambition of eliminating all avoidable plastic waste.
Guidance for businesses following the ban is available here.