The country’s Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, will launch a consultation on 22 October on proposals to ban the items as part of government plans to reduce pollution. An estimated 4.7 billion straws, 316 million stirrers and 1.8 billion cotton buds are used in England alone each year. Greenpeace UK’s political adviser, Sam Chetan-Welsh, said: “Our society’s addiction to throwaway plastic is fuelling a global environmental crisis that must be tackled.” Around 10% of cotton buds are flushed down toilets, meaning they can end up in oceans and waterways. The proposed ban, which would include exemptions for medical reasons, would come into effect between October 2019 and October 2020. Campaigners, however, say that banning straws is not enough.
The country’s Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, will launch a consultation on 22 October on proposals to ban the items as part of government plans to reduce pollution. An estimated 4.7 billion straws, 316 million stirrers and 1.8 billion cotton buds are used in England alone each year. Around 10% of cotton buds are flushed down toilets, meaning they can end up in oceans and waterways. The proposed ban, which would include exemptions for medical reasons, would come into effect between October 2019 and October 2020. Campaigners, however, say that banning straws is not enough.