Single-use plastic ban in England
The Government announced a ban on a wide range of plastic items that came into effect from 1 October 2023.
Businesses, such as takeaways, sandwich bars, care homes and retailers who supply certain single-use plastic items, should have thought about alternatives and where to source them from and put arrangements in place.
Also, members of the public should no longer be supplied with these products from any business including retailers, takeaways, food vendors and the hospitality industry.
Businesses who continue to supply single-use plastic items could be given a fine in the form of a fixed penalty notice.
The ban includes the supply of items from new and existing stock and will cover all types of single-use plastic including plastic cutlery, trays, plates, bowls, and balloon sticks as well as certain types of polystyrene cups and food containers used to supply food which is ready to consume. The ban also includes biodegradable, compostable, recycled and items wholly or partly made from plastic, including the coating or lining.
The ban will apply to online and over-the-counter sales.
Businesses should:
- swap plastic for bamboo or wooden cutlery for takeaway food
- swap plastic for metal cutlery for in-house guests
- swap single use plastic plates or bows to re-usable alternatives that can be washed
- offer paper plates instead of plastic
- offer to refill customers’ water bottles or travel cups
- encourage customers to bring their own clean containers for takeaway food
There are some exemptions to the ban, depending on the item. You can still supply single-use plastic plates, bowls and trays if you are supplying them to another business or if the items are packaging, such as:
- pre-filled salad bowls or ready meals
- a plate filled at the counter of a takeaway
- a tray used to deliver food
You can still supply food or drink in polystyrene containers if it needs further preparation after the sale, such as:
- adding water
- microwaving
- toasting
You can read more about this change and the exemptions in guidance published by The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA). If you have any questions about what the new rules mean for your business, contact Plastics.Consultation@defra.gov.uk.
If you haven’t already installed recycling bins, please do so. Providing recycling bins for your new paper, card, glass or metal items is a good thing for the planet at your business, with consumers being more keen than ever to shop and live sustainably
Further information about controls on single-use plastic
- It is estimated that England uses 2.7 billion items of single use cutlery each year, and 721 million single use plates. Only 10% of these items are recycled
- Certain plastic items, such as straws stirrers and cotton buds, have already been banned
- Plastic pollution takes hundreds of years to break down and inflicts serious damage to our oceans, rivers, and land. It is also a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, from the production and manufacture of the plastic itself to the way it is disposed
- It is expected that the items included in the 1 October 2023 ban will have a significant impact on reducing plastic waste and littering in England