England to ban single-use plastic cutlery

The government has announced plans to ban single-use plastic cutlery, plates and polystyrene cups in England as part of what it calls a “war on plastic”.

Ministers said the move would help to reduce litter and cut the amount of plastic waste in oceans.

A consultation on the policy will launch in the autumn – although the government has not ruled out including other items in the ban.

But environmental activists said more urgent and wider action was needed.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland already have plans to ban single-use plastic cutlery, and the European Union brought in a similar ban in July – putting ministers in England under pressure to take similar action.

On average, each person in England uses 18 single-use plastic plates and 37 single-use plastic items of cutlery every year, according to government figures.

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