England to ban single-use plastic cutlery, plates from Oct

The UK said it will ban single-use plastic cutlery and plates in England from October as part of a drive to reduce plastic pollution and protect the marine environment.

Under the new rules, retailers and restaurants also won't be able to sell single-use plastic plates, trays and balloon sticks or some types of polystyrene cups and food containers, Environment Secretary Therese Coffey said on Saturday in a statement. The Scottish and Welsh devolved governments have already taken similar action.

The move is part of a wider push to protect the environment by clamping down on waste that blights the countryside and oceans and by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the production and disposal of plastics. England uses 2.7 billion items of single-use cutlery per year as well as 721 million single-use plates, but only 10% are recycled, according to Coffey's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.


"We all know the absolutely devastating impacts that plastic can have on our environment and wildlife," said Coffey. "These new single-use plastics bans will continue our vital work to protect the environment for future generations."