The British government has announced that it will ban, in England, single-use plastic plates, trays and cutlery, starting next October.

And the Environment Ministry said - yesterday Friday - that a new ban will also include some disposable plastic plates and trays and some types of cups and dinnerware made of polystyrene, as the government seeks to curb the "destructive" impact of plastic on the environment.

The British news agency (BA 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 in October this year, citizens will not be able to purchase banned items from retailers, fast food and food vendors.

"We all know very well the utterly devastating effects plastic has on our environment and our wildlife. 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," said Environment Minister Therese Coffey.