Britain bans the use of plastic cups and eating utensils

The British government has confirmed that it will ban disposable plastic plates, trays and cutlery in England from October.

The environment ministry said a new ban would also cover some disposable plastic plates and trays and some types of polystyrene cups and dinnerware, as the government seeks to curb the "devastating" impact of plastic on the environment.

And the British news agency (PA Media) quoted ministry officials as saying that England uses about 2.7 billion pieces of single-use tableware every year, of which only 10% is recycled.

This change means that starting from October this year, citizens will not be able to buy banned items from retailers, fast food and food vendors.

"We all know very well the utterly devastating effects of plastic on our environment and our wildlife," said Environment Minister Therese Coffey. "We have listened to the public, and the new ban on single-use plastics means we will continue our very important work to protect the environment for generations to come."

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