The Government has set out its plan to ban the distribution and sale of plastic straws and drinks stirrers in a bid to protect our rivers and seas.
The plan is subject to a consultation launched by Environment Secretary Michael Gove.
It is estimated that in England we use 4.7 billion plastic straws and 316 million plastic stirrers annually. Those single-use plastic items take hundred years to break down.
In order to eliminate these items from use, the Government intends to introduce a ban on their distribution and sale. It would come into force at some point between October 2019 and October 2020, subject to views collected during the consultation.
The closing date for submissions is 3 December 2018.