(Reuters) – Single-use plastic plates, cutlery and cups are among a raft of items that could be banned in England as part of a new public consultation being launched in the autumn, the British government said on Saturday.
“We will also introduce a world-leading plastic packaging tax from April 2022, set at 200 pounds ($275.32) per tonne, on plastic packaging which doesn’t meet a minimum threshold of at least 30% recycled content”, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs said in a statement.
It is estimated that each person uses 18 single-use plastic plates and 37 single-use plastic items of cutlery each year in England, the government said.
“We have made progress to turn the tide on plastic, banning the supply of plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds, while our carrier bag charge has cut sales by 95% in the main supermarkets”, Environment Secretary George Eustice said.
“Now we are looking to go a step further”, he added https://bit.ly/3Dq96Oj.
The full list of single-use items under review and other consultation details will be announced in the coming weeks, the government said.
($1 = 0.7264 pounds)
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Will Dunham)
