New ban and restrictions on some single-use plastic items

Businesses can no longer use polystyrene food and drink containers, plastic cutlery and plastic balloon sticks. A restriction on single-use plastic plates, bowls and trays has also been introduced.

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs has brought this ban into place for retailers, suppliers and manufacturers.

There is also a restriction on supplying single-use plastic trays and bowls to members of the public, although businesses can continue to supply these items if they are used as packaging for shelf-ready, pre-packaged food items.

Councillor Asjad Mahmood, Leader of Pendle Borough Council, said: “This is a ban that all relevant local businesses need to adhere to.

“This can only be a good thing for the environment and it will also impact favourably on the amount of rubbish and recycling that Pendle Borough Council has to deal with.”

This ban complements the existing restrictions on other single-use plastic items such as plastic straws, cotton buds and drink stirrers, along with the carrier bag charge.

The Government has introduced this ban as part of its commitment to tackling plastic pollution and littering and to reduce avoidable waste.

Single-use plastics have damaging environmental impacts as they are commonly littered and are difficult to recycle.

Councillor Zafar Ali, Pendle Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder for Environment and Climate Change, added: “Plastic pollution takes hundreds of years to break down and inflicts serious damage on the environment.

“This new legislation should go some way with helping with this, both locally and nationally.”