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The single-use plastic ban explained

Blog
The YPO Team
26 Jan 2023

What is the single-use plastic ban?

From October 2023, a ban on a range of single-use plastics will come into force in England, as announced by the government. As we all know, plastic consumption is a growing issue globally, and measures need to be put in place to tackle it. The hope is that the ban will reduce the amount of plastic that is sent to landfill, with the government noting that England uses 2.7 billion items of single-use cutlery every year, with only around 10% being recycled. The ban is a step in the right direction, with a government-conducted survey finding that over 95% of respondents were in favour of the bans.

What does it include?

Single-use plastic cutlery
Single-use plastic plates
Single-use plastic straws & stirrers
Single-use food containers made from polystyrene
Single-use drinking cups made from polystyrene
All products made using oxo-degradable plastic, for example, carrier bags and plastic film

When does it come into action?

The ban on specific single-use plastics will come into force from October 2023, giving businesses enough time to prepare and source alternatives. From October 2023, customers will not be able to purchase single-use banned products from any businesses.

What alternatives are available?

At YPO, we stock a large range of plastic catering alternatives, to make the switch easy. Explore our range of products below to find ideal alternatives to single-use plastic products. Our products are perfect for a range of catering needs, including schools, colleges, commercial kitchens and more.

Cutlery:

235135 Biodegradable Wooden Dessert Spoons
235134 Biodegradable Wooden Forks
235133 Biodegradable Wooden Knives
235136 Biodegradable Wooden Teaspoons

Paper straws:

230540 Paper Straws

Paper plates:

307123 White Round Paper Plates

Cups:

230391 Recyclable Plastic Cups

Food containers:

231568 Cookpac Same-Day Large square food boxes
231367 Large Bagasse food boxes

Stirrers:

230057 Wooden Lolly Sticks

Why is this new ban important?

The new ban means that fewer single-use plastic catering products will be used and produced, meaning that less plastic is put into landfill. Plastic pollution can take hundreds of years to decompose, so it’s important that we’re making a conscious effort to reduce the amount we produce. As the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs found, each year, England uses around 2.7 billion items of single-use cutlery, with most being plastic. Considering that most of these single-use items end up in landfill every year, it’s crucial that we begin to reduce this number. The new ban is a great step in the right direction.

At YPO, we’re on a journey to be more sustainable – so we hope you found our list of plastic-free alternatives useful. To find our full range of alternatives to single-use plastic catering products, click here.

Author

The YPO Team

YPO supplies products and services to a wide range of customers including schools, local authorities, charities, emergency services, public sector and other businesses such as nurseries and care homes. YPO are 100% publicly owned, by 13 local authorities, which means the profits made are returned to public sector customers, delivering even better value for money.