Wales announces plan to ban single-use plastics

Wales has announced plans to ban a wide range of single-use plastics.

Plastic straws, cotton buds and balloon sticks are among the items set to be outlawed in the UK country from 2021, or subject to sales restrictions.

According to the Welsh Government, consultation on the proposals will take place in the coming months; with restrictions due to come into force in the first half of 2021.

“The single use plastics we want to ban are hard to recycle and often found on the beaches and seas around our coast,” Hannah Blythyn, Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government, said in a statement, “I am committed to working with stakeholders to understand the impact of this proposal, particularly on any citizens who may be reliant on some of the items we have included, to make sure we get it right.”

A ban on plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds in England is set to come into force later this month, with the UK Government’s legislation currently making its way through parliament.