New legislation has come into effect, meaning that it is now illegal for businesses to supply plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds to customers.
It is estimated that we use 4.7 billion plastic straws, 316 million plastic stirrers, and 1.8 billion plastic-stemmed cotton buds in England every year, many of which find their way into our ocean. By banning the supply of these items, we can further protect our precious marine wildlife and move one step closer to our ambition of eliminating all avoidable plastic waste as set out in the Governmnet’s 25 Year Environment Plan.
Local Member of Parliament Steve Double has led the campaign to bring this law forward.
Commenting, Steve said:
“I am delighted to see this new legislation come in, something I have pushed for since I was first elected in 2015.”
“I am pleased to have subsequently led the cross party campaign to get this in place along with Surfers Against Sewage as part of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Ocean Conservation which I have chaired since 2015.”
“It is commendable that campaigners in Cornwall have been very strong in highlighting this issue and I pay particular tribute to Mid-Cornwall’s own Pat Smith and her Final Straw Cornwall campaign.”
“This will have a tangible impact on our marine and coastal environments and it is good to see the Government deliver on this, as part of the 25 Year Environment Plan, despite delays from the recent General Election an the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“I will continue to work with campaigners for further measures to ensure we can live more sustainably and protect our environment now and in the future.”