From 1 October 2023, businesses in England will be banned from using a range of single-use plastics. From this date, businesses will no longer be able to use any of the items and could face fines if they do.
The ban covers items including single-use plastic plates, trays, bowls, cutlery, balloon sticks and certain types of polystyrene cups and food containers. It also applies to items made from bio-based, biodegradable or compostable plastic.
The bans will be enforced principally through civil sanctions, though failure to comply with a civil sanction or repeated breaches may result in authorities prosecuting for a criminal offence subject to a fine.
The government has estimated that 2.7 billion items of single-use cutlery — most of which are plastic — and 721 million single-use plates are used per year but only 10% are recycled.
From October, people won’t be able to buy these products from any business, including retailers, takeaways, food vendors and the hospitality industry.
Details of the new regulations can be found on the government website.
