England announced plans to restrict the sale of single-use plastic products

The government of England has announced plans to restrict the sale of single-use plastic products such as cutlery, plates, bowls, trays, balloon sticks, and certain types of polystyrene cups and food containers. The ban will go into effect in October of this year and will apply to businesses including retailers, restaurants, food vendors, and other locations. However, the ban will not affect plastic plates, trays, or bowls that come with pre-packaged food items, as they are already included in the country’s Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme, which incentivizes companies to use recyclable packaging and meet higher recycling targets. This ban expands on previous rules implemented in 2018, 2020 and 2021, including a ban on microbeads, a restriction on the availability of single-use plastic straws, drink stirrers, and cotton swabs, and a tax on imported plastic packaging that doesn’t include at least 30% recycled material.

Source: theverge.com