The 2020 Plastic Straw Ban

If you didn’t know already, on the 1st October 2020, a ban on throwaway plastics came into place in England, including plastic straws, plastic cotton buds and plastic stirrers. However, establishments can still provide straws to people with specific medical needs or a disability (for whom straws were created for in the first place).  

This ban will remove billions of disposable plastic items from circulation every year and reduce the amount the UK contributes to the 150 million tonnes of plastic waste in the ocean. I feel like the general public will see this as an environmental ‘win’, considering the rise in popularity of sea turtles in recent years. However, I do beg to question whether this is showing commitment to the protection of the environment for the planet and people, or is this just another greenwashing ploy? It is positive to see that the government have not brought in a blanket ban and have considered the importance of straws in the daily lives of people with disabilities or for their use in hospitals and clinics.  

Nevertheless, this ban does seem like the picking of low-hanging fruit. What I mean is that this is just one small element of the significant plastic pollution problem and disposability culture we currently live in. If the government truly cared about the plastic pollution problem, they would have already banned all single-use plastics and invested in reducing plastic packaging production. A spokesperson for DEFRA (Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs) said the government are ‘absolutely committed to turning the tide on the widespread use of single-use plastics’, but we are yet to see this a reality. Furthermore, the UK’s 25 Year Environment Plan is not ambitious enough as the target to eliminate avoidable plastic waste is 2042! This current lack-lustre approach is worrying for future generations and shows how little the government care for climate and environmental justice.