UK urged not to further delay ban on plastic straws

The UK must not further delay its ban on single-use plastic items such as straws, sustainability campaigners and experts have told the government.

Their calls came after Defra yesterday (16 April) pushed back its prohibition of plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds “to avoid additional burdens for firms at this challenging time”. The rule, which was due to come into force this month, will now take effect in six months’ time.

“Given the huge challenges posed to businesses by coronavirus, we have confirmed we will delay the introduction of our ban on plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds until October 2020,” said a Defra spokesman.

The department remained “absolutely committed to turning the tide on the widespread use of single-use plastics and the threat they pose to our natural environment” the spokesman added. “This ban is yet another measure to clamp down on unnecessary plastic so we can better protect our precious wildlife and leave our environment in a better state for future generations.”

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, “short delays to planned legislation are understandable” said Louise Edge, head of Greenpeace UK’s plastics campaign.

However, she insisted that “protecting the long-term health of people and our environment must remain high on the government’s agenda. This includes delivering on commitments to tackle plastic pollution. The country has said no to pointless plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds, and the sooner they are banned, the better.”

City to Sea, which campaigns against plastic pollution, was “looking to government to provide reassurance that this isn’t the start of slippery slope of watering down and delaying legislation to tackle the plastics crisis” said the organisation’s CEO Rebecca Burgess.

“This delayed ban was the government’s first step in implementing the EU’s Single-Use Plastics Directive, and we’d like to know how they plan to transpose the rest into national law. The EU is not shifting its deadlines, and so our government needs to show that it is up to the task of matching them.”

Lorenzo Angelucci, CEO of sustainable packaging supplier Transcend Packaging, insisted “the UK single-use plastic ban should move forward with minimal delay”. He commended Defra “for the important work they have done in working to combat single-use plastics” and encouraged the department “to finish the job as soon as possible”.

A spokesman for the British Plastics Federation said “given the current circumstances many will understand” Defra’s reasoning for the ban’s delay. “All businesses are facing unprecedented challenges at this point in time.”