Wet wipes and sachets target of plastics ban
Ministers also look to outlaw or charge for single-use plates, cutlery and drink containers
WET wipes and ketchup sachets could be banned in England under plans to tackle plastic pollution, the Government will announce today.
The proposals are the next step in the Government’s attempt to end plastic litter, which includes a planned ban on single-use plastic plates, cutlery and polystyrene containers.
An estimated 1.1billion single-use plates and 4.25billion items of singleuse cutlery, mostly made of plastic, are used in England every year.
A 12-week consultation will look at whether these items, as well as plastic balloon sticks, should be banned, following an earlier move on straws, stirrers and cotton buds.
Ministers also want consumers to be charged for single-use items such as the 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups used every year, and cutlery made from other materials such as wood.
The Government will also ask for opinions on whether it should go further by either banning or charging for plastic sachets, wet wipes and other single-use cups, and forcing tobacco companies to pay for cigarette butt littering.
George Eustice, the Environment Secretary, said it was “time we left our throwaway culture behind once and for all”.
Last month Boris Johnson said recycling “does not work” because so little plastic is turned into something new, and said people should instead reduce their reliance on single-use.
But the Government faces criticism over long delays to plans for a deposit return scheme, making producers responsible for plastic waste and introducing consistent recycling.
Biodegradable and compostable plates, cutlery and packaging could be spared from the ban, despite the Government saying it wants them to be included because of concerns they spread plastic pollution when disposed of incorrectly. There are also concerns that legislation could encourage a move to single-use items made from other materials.
Prof Mark Miodownik, of UCL’S plastic waste innovation hub, said: “The Government needs to be careful that manufacturers don’t switch from single-use plastics to single use biodegradable plastics. Our analysis shows this rarely helps the environment.”
About 10 billion plastic wet wipes are used in the UK every year and are the biggest contributor to fatbergs that clog up sewers, and one of the most common items of litter found on beaches. Some wet wipes that proclaim to be “flushable” are not, and are adding to the fatberg problem.
The Government has said it could set mandatory labelling standards so that people know whether their wipes really can be flushed.
Campaigners have long called for a ban on single-use sachets such as those used for ketchup.
A recent survey found that 80 per cent of people support a ban on the items, which are rarely recycled because of their size and the difficulty in cleaning them.