England will implement a full plastic ban! (With full ban guide）

From 1 October 2023, a range of single-use plastic items such as cutlery, plates and bowls will be banned in England in a bid to limit plastic pollution. Similar bans have already been implemented in Scotland, and England has banned single-use plastic straws,stir sticks and plastic cotton swabs in 2020.

UK releases guide to ban single-use plastics

1. The ban on these items will include:

Online and over-the-counter sales and supply

Items from new and existing inventory

All types of single-use plastics, including biodegradable, compostable and recyclable

Articles made wholly or partly of plastic, including coatings or linings

"Single use" means that the item can only be used once for its original purpose.

2. How to prepare for prohibition

Here are some ways you can prepare your business for the new rules:

Use up existing inventory before October 1

Find reusable alternatives to single-use items

Use different materials for disposable items

If you continue to supply banned single-use plastic products after October 1, you may be fined.

There are some exceptions to the prohibition depending on the item.

3. Plates, bowls and trays

From 1 October you must not provide single-use plastic plates, trays and bowls to the public.

Exemption

You can still provide single-use plastic plates, bowls and trays if any of the following conditions are met:

You provided them to another business

Item is packaged (pre-filled or filled at point of sale)

Examples of this type of packaging include:

Pre-assembled salad bowls or ready-to-eat meals in trays

A takeaway counter is filled with plates

Trays used to deliver food

4. Tableware and balloon sticks

From 1 October you must not supply single-use plastic cutlery or balloon sticks.

There are no exceptions to this ban.

5. Polystyrene food and beverage containers

Starting October 1, you may not serve ready-to-eat food and beverages in polystyrene containers. This includes polystyrene cups. Polystyrene refers to expanded and extruded polystyrene.

Exemption

You can still serve food or drinks in polystyrene containers if they require further processing before consumption. For example, further preparation might mean:

 add water

Cooking in a microwave

Baking

6. Inspection

Local authorities will carry out inspections to ensure these regulations are followed.

The inspector may:

Visit a store or store

Make a trial purchase

Talk to employees

Request to see records

If you violate the law, the inspector can order your business to pay the costs of the investigation.

Complaints about corporate violations can be lodged with Trading Standards.