The Welsh Government is to ban single-use plastics from mid-2021 as part of wider measures to make Wales “the world’s top recycling nation”.
The single-use plastics to be banned include straws, stirrers, cotton buds, balloon sticks, plates and cutlery, food and drinks containers made from expanded polystyrene, and products made from oxo-degradable plastic, such as certain carrier bags.
The restrictions are due to come into force in the first half of 2021 (image: Shutterstock)
A consultation on the proposals will take place in the coming months, and the Welsh Government says the restrictions are due to come into force in the first half of 2021.
Deputy minister for housing and local government Hannah Blythyn said: “The single use plastics we want to ban are hard to recycle and often found on the beaches and seas around our coast, blighting our beautiful country and harming our natural and marine environments.
“It is vital we don’t throw away our future – which is why we believe taking this direct action will have a significant impact on changing people’s behaviour and make them think about their waste when ‘on-the-go’.
“The measures I am announcing today are part of a range of potential solutions to the plastic problem. I am committed to working with stakeholders to understand the impact of this proposal, particularly on any citizens who may be reliant on some of the items we have included, to make sure we get it right.”
Strategy
A commitment to reducing waste and unnecessary plastic is outlined in Wales’s ‘Beyond Recycling’ circular economy strategy, which aims for Wales to produce zero waste by 2050.
“It is vital we don’t throw away our future”
The Welsh Government says the aim of the measure is to prevent litter from occurring in the first place, to keep resources in the system and to minimise the amount of waste transported to landfill.
In April 2019 the Welsh Government announced a £6.5 million fund for businesses to increase the use of recycled content – and particularly recycled plastics – in their products (see letsrecycle.com story).
Single-use plastics
The Single Use Plastics directive passed into EU law in June 2019, aiming to reduce the impact of ‘certain plastic products’ on the environment (see letsrecycle.com story). It includes bans on selected single-use plastic items such as cotton bud sticks, cutlery and sticks for balloons from 3 July 2021. Though Brexit has led to uncertainty, it is also expected to be transposed into UK law.
Legislation to ban the supply of plastic straws entered parliament on 3 March
And, on 3 March, legislation to ban the supply of plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds entered parliament (see letsrecycle.com story). The ban is due to come into force in April 2020, though it is still unclear how the coronavirus crisis will affect legislation such as this.
However, environmental consultancy Eunomia has warned manufacturers of products such as straws, stirrers and wet wipes could switch to ‘natural polymers’, which could be exempt under the EU’s directive’s definition of plastics (see letsrecycle.com story).
Last week Maya de Souza, head of circular economy at Defra, warned that switching to biodegradable plastics was not the answer to reducing the UK’s reliance on single-use plastic packaging (see letsrecycle.com story).
The post Wales to ban single-use plastics appeared first on letsrecycle.com.
Source: letsrecycle.com Plastic
