Ministers in the UK have launched a consultation on single-use plastics which could see products such as plastic straws banned next year.
The consultation on single-use plastics comes after the UK announced its ambitions to significantly cut plastic waste, and is in line with similar proposals which have been made as part of the EU’s plastics strategy.
The announcement was made ahead of the opening of today’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, at which the leaders of all 53 Commonwealth countries will meet to discuss issues affecting them. UK Prime Minister Theresa May pledged that she would encourage Commonwealth countries to join the UK’s ‘world leading’ efforts to tackle plastic waste.
How big is the problem of plastic waste?
The UK government estimates that there are currently more than 150m tonnes of plastic in the world’s oceans, and that some 100,000 sea mammals and one million birds die from eating or becoming tangled in plastic waste each year.
The government’s consultation on single-use plastics will target products such as straws, stirrers and cotton buds. Recent research found that some 8.5bn plastic straws are thrown away each year in the UK, and such straws could face a ban following the consultation.
What has the Prime Minister said?
Making the announcement, May said that the UK is a world leader in tackling plastics, and welcomed previous efforts such as a ban on microbeads, as well as a recently announced deposit return scheme on plastic bottles. She also reinforced the commitment of the other attendees at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to tackle the problem.
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.”
As well as the consultation, the UK has also announced plans to commit additional funding to research into plastic waste, May added: “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.”
She concluded: “Together we can effect real change so that future generations can enjoy a natural environment that is healthier than we currently find it.”
