SNP rushes to ban single-use plastic ahead of COP26
A LAW banning single-use plastics will be rushed through parliament in time for COP26, The Scottish Mail on Sunday can reveal.
The move will outlaw a huge range of everyday plastic products, including coffee cups, takeaway boxes, disposable knives and forks, cocktail stirrers and drinking straws.
The ban is set to go before MSPs by November – to allow the Scottish Government to trumpet its green credentials ahead of the international climate change summit in Glasgow.
The massive change would require hospitality businesses including restaurants, cafés and takeaways to completely overhaul how they package food and drink.
Scots will also have to adapt, as figures show the country uses 300 million plastic straws, 276 million pieces of plastic cutlery, 9.9 million stirrers, 66 million polystyrene food boxes and 45 million polystyrene cups a year.
Scotland trails other nations in the UK – England introduced a ban on single-use cups, stirrers and straws last year and Wales has pledged to roll out a ban this year. Now Scottish Ministers have sent official notification to the World Trade Organisation outlining their plans to adopt the new law before the two-week climate meeting in November.
They hope that the countrywide ban will be fully implemented by next summer.
In its latest Holyrood election manifesto, the SNP said it would match the EU’s single-use plastic directive, which required member states to introduce restrictions to the sale of some of the most environmentally harmful single-use plastic products by July 2021.
Now, The Scottish Mail on Sunday has discovered that it will scramble to announce a law restricting the use of certain single-use items in time for COP26.
In a letter seen by this newspaper, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport Michael Matheson has written to the convener of the Scottish parliament’s net zero, energy and transport committee to outline the plan.
He wrote: ‘I am writing to advise you that the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has been notified of the intention of the Scottish Government to ban some of the most problematic single-use plastic products.’ An attached notification to the WTO shows the Scottish Government intends to adopt the law by November, when COP26 begins.
High-profile delegates attending the event include US President Joe Biden and Pope Francis.
A Scottish Government spokesman said it ‘is committed to matching or exceeding the standards set by the EU single-use plastics directive’.
He added: ‘We will take further action by banning more problematic single-use plastic items including cutlery, plates, beverage stirrers and expanded polystyrene food and drink containers by the end of 2021.
‘We will also take further steps to consult on a charge on single-use disposable beverage cups.’