Welsh Government bids to ban single-use plastics
PLASTIC straws, cutlery and polystyrene food and drink containers will be banned in Wales from next year.
The Welsh Government, which announces the move today, aid the ban would be part of wider meaures to make Wales the world’s top recycling nation.
The plastics affected include straws, stirrers, cotton buds, balloon sticks, plates and cutlery, food and drinks containers made of expanded polystyrene and products made from oxo-degradable plastic, such as certain types of carrier bags.
A consultation on the proposals will still take place with the ban due to be in place by the first half of 2021.
Hannah Blythyn, Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government, said a consultation on the proposals will take place in the coming months with restrictions due to come into force next year.
“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,” the minister said. “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.
“We’ll be launching a consultation on the proposals soon, and I want to encourage the people of Wales to share their views with us.”
Statutory recycling targets set by the Welsh Government for local authorities have seen increased household recycling rise from 5.2% in 1998-99 to 60.7% in 2018-19. Municipal waste recycling rates have also risen from 4.8% to 62.8% during the same period.
More than £1bn has been provided since 2000 to help councils invest in recycling collection services and 99% of households now have a food waste collection service
Wales was also the first UK nation to introduce a carrier bag charge, which saw an increase in the number of bags for life used.
The Welsh Government says it wants to go further, becoming a circular economy and achieving 100% recycling and zero waste by 2050, as outlined in its strategy “Beyond Recycling”.
It says the aim of the new ban is to prevent litter from occurring in the first place, keeping valuable resources in the system and minimising the amount of waste transported to landfill sites.
A 2019 Welsh Government study showed a large proportion of litter collected was made up of plastic items. There has been recent campaigns to limit plastic use.