BEIJING, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) According to the British "Guardian" report on the 8th local time, the British government confirmed that in order to reduce pollution, England will ban the use of plastic tableware, plates, packaging boxes and other disposable items.
According to reports, around 1.1 billion disposable plates and 4.25 billion pieces of disposable cutlery are consumed in England every year, only 10% of which are recycled after use.
Studies have shown that plastic products, including food containers, tableware, etc., account for a considerable proportion of the world's marine litter.
The Guardian reported in December that British Environment Secretary Therese Coffey planned to ban a range of single-use plastics, and the news has now been confirmed.
The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has consulted on this issue from November 2021 to February 2022, leading to the launch of the plan.
Coffey said, "It takes 200 years to decompose a plastic fork, which means that this kind of garbage will exist in landfills or oceans for two centuries. I am determined to promote this action and solve the problem head-on. In recent years, we have taken We have taken a major step, but more needs to be done." Coffey also said that the new ban will stop the pollution impact of billions of plastic products and protect the natural environment for future generations.
The British "Independent" stated that the Scottish and Welsh governments have banned many single-use plastics used in food and drinks.
According to the "Daily Mail" report, England's planned ban will cover disposable plastic cups used in restaurants, cafes and takeaway shops, but is not expected to cover plastic products used for packaging in supermarkets, shops and other places.
Because the latter is classified as "primary packaging", the government says it is addressing this through other schemes.
British media reported that the plastic ban was welcomed by environmentalists, but there were also criticisms that the progress was slow and the scope was limited; others said that "it's like reaching for a mop instead of turning off the tap" and called for solving the problem at the source.