|
|
|
You can get e-magazine links on WhatsApp. Click here
|
|
|
|
|
|
Govt of UK ends sale of plastic straws & stirrers at Commonwealth meet
|
|
Saturday, 21 April, 2018, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
|
|
London
|
The Government of the United Kingdom has announced the end of the sale of plastic straws, drink stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds at the beginning of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit.
Theresa May, the country’s prime minister, will also call on all other Commonwealth countries to join the fight against plastic pollution.
Subject to the consultation, which Michael Gove, UK’s environment secretary, will launch later this year, the government is prepared to ban the sale of these items in England under plans to protect its rivers and seas and meet its ambitious 25-Year Environment Plan to eliminate avoidable plastic waste.
This forms a part of the wider government waste strategy, including the government’s current call for evidence on how the tax system can be used to address single-use plastic waste.
In order to eliminate these items from use, the government will work with the industry to develop alternatives and ensure there is sufficient time to adapt. It will also propose excluding plastic straws for medical reasons.
Single-use plastic items, such as straws, stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds, have a significant impact on our environment, both on land and in our seas and rivers, when they are either littered or discarded incorrectly after use. A recent study showed that 8.5 billion plastic straws were thrown away each year in the UK.
The announcement came as the prime minister urged all Commonwealth countries to sign up for the newly-formed Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance and take action, be this by a ban on microbeads, a commitment to cutting down on single-use plastic bags, or other steps to eliminate avoidable plastic waste.
To drive this forward, the UK government has committed a £61.4 million package of funding to boost global research and help countries across the Commonwealth stop plastic waste from entering the oceans in the first place.
May said, “Plastic waste is one of the greatest environmental challenges facing the world, which is why protecting the marine environment is central to our agenda at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.”
“The UK government is a world leader on this issue, and the British public has shown passion and energy embracing our plastic bag charge and microbead ban, and today, we have put forward ambitious plans to further reduce plastic waste from straws, stirrers and cotton buds,” she added.
“Alongside our domestic action, this week we are rallying Commonwealth countries to join us in the fight against marine plastics, with £61.4million funding for global research and to improve waste management in developing countries,” May said.
“The Commonwealth is a unique organisation, with a huge diversity of wildlife, environments and coastlines. Together, we can effect real change so that future generations can enjoy a natural environment that is healthier than we currently find it,” the prime minister added.
Gove said, “Single-use plastics are a scourge on our seas and lethal to our precious environment and wildlife, so it is vital we act now. We have already banned harmful microbeads and cut plastic bag use, and now we want to take action on straws, stirrers and cotton buds to help protect our marine life.”
“We’ve already seen a number of retailers, bars and restaurants stepping up to the plate and cutting plastic use. However it’s only through the government, businesses and the public working together that we will protect our environment for the next generation. We all have a role to play in turning the tide on plastic,” he added.
There are over 150 million tonne of plastic in the world’s oceans, and every year, one million birds and over 1,00,000 sea mammals die from eating and getting tangled in plastic waste.
The announcement is the latest move in the government crackdown on plastic, following the plastic microbead ban hailed as one of the world’s strongest bans, the 5p plastic bag charge – which has led to nine billion fewer bags distributed, and last month’s pledge to introduce a deposit return scheme (DRS) for single-use drink containers, including bottles and cans.
It sits alongside the 25-Year Environment Plan commitment to eliminate avoidable plastic waste. The Treasury has also launched a call for evidence on how charges and changes to the tax system could be used to reduce single-use plastics.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|