England takes another step towards outright ban on single-use plastic cutlery

Any such move would affect retailers handing out cutlery for customers to use with food-to-go, although many stores have already switched to wooden versions.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), said this week it was going to make a call for evidence on “problematic plastics” as part of a public consultation.

Environmental organisation City to Sea said it expected government measures to include bans on single-use plastic cutlery, plates and extruded polystyrene cups.

Defra had already announced the plastics consultation in August, but this week’s follow-up is being taken as an indication that firmer action is approaching.

In its statement asking for more evidence, Defra said the consultation followed “the huge success” of the increase of the charge for single-use carrier bags from 5p to 10p, which has taken “billions more bags out of circulation”.

Steve Hynd, City to Sea’s policy manager, said: “The promised consultation to ban some of the most polluting single-use plastic items is welcome.

“The best time for this ban to come in was months ago when the rest of Europe introduced such a ban. The second-best time is now.”
The Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly have both already said they will ban single-use plastic cutlery.