Ban on plastic straws looms

PLASTIC straws could be banned in Britain, the Environment Secretary has said. The UK is estimated to go through 8.5billion single-use straws every year – the highest number in Europe – and Michael Gove said banning their use could help the UK become more environmentally friendly.

SNP ministers have already announced plans to make Scotland the first country in Europe to ban plastic straws. Because they cannot be recy- cled the straws often end up in waterways and in the sea, causing damage and death to plants and animals. Asked whether he may ban plastic straws after Britain leaves the EU, Mr Gove told Chopper’s Brexit Podcast: “Watch this space.” He added: “If it is bad, then banning it is a good thing,” but he also said there had to be a balanced approach.

Mr Gove said that a ban would be easier after the UK leaves the EU, because of laws which prevent individual nations from blocking unwanted products.

The latest EU bombast is to order Britain to outlaw plastic straws. This is hostile, tendentious, futile, piddling and contrary to the liberties of our ancient realm. In other words, par for the Brussels course. But we should laugh off the insult by abandoning plastic straws of our own volition. Every plastic straw, we know, has an unlucky turtle’s name on it, but the root problem is that straws are cheap and nasty, like cotton-wool bread and the old Party Seven. We should embrace craft-made durable straws instead. Lovely stainless-steel straws come with a natty brush to polish their innards. Experimental fields of straw straws are springing up, like those that were used in school milk. Or we could carry silver straws like the Patagonian used for mate tea. The EU ukase thus becomes a straw man.