The United Kingdom decides to ban the sale of single-use plastic utensils

The measure comes into force in October and aims to “reduce pollution in seas, rivers and on land.”

reproduction / pixabayThe government wants to reduce pollution in the seas, rivers and on land

The sale of single-use plastic plates, cutlery and other utensils will be prohibited in the United States United kingdom Starting in October in order to reduce pollution in the seas, rivers and on land, as announced on Saturday (local date) by the British Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Authorities have given the companies ten months to adjust to the new regulation, which will also affect utensils such as plastic trays and bowls, as well as some types of Styrofoam cups and food containers. Each year, 2.7 billion disposable tableware, most of which are plastic, and 721 million plates are used. EnglandOf which only 10% is recycled, according to government data. From October, retailers, restaurants, bars, home delivery companies and any other businesses must adapt to the ban. The British government confirmed in a statement that plastic waste takes hundreds of years to decompose and cause severe damage to the ecosystem. Its production is also one of the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Global Warming. “We all know the utterly devastating effects of plastic on the environment and wildlife. We have listened to the public and this new ban on single-use plastics will be a continuation of our vital work to protect the environment for generations to come,” said Environment Minister Therese Coffey.

The executive explained that 95% of the respondents who participated in the consultations on the measure support the veto. Environmental Protection Organization Green area He demanded, in turn, a more ambitious strategy. “Banning items one by one is getting good headlines for the government, but it won’t eliminate the staggering amount of plastic the UK produces every year,” Nina Schrank, plastics campaign director at Greenpeace UK, said in a statement. The organization is calling for a law requiring supermarkets to provide customers with the possibility of using reusable packaging and a system for returning used bottles and for the UK to stop exporting waste abroad. The government already banned the use of plastic microbeads in the manufacture of cosmetics in 2018, while in 2020 it banned the use of single-use straws and plastic cotton buds.

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* With information from EFE