Did you know that our global consumption of plastic is leading to roughly 320 million tonnes of plastic being produced annually, which shockingly only 9% actually gets recycled? The plastic wastage is continuing to form a huge threat for our environment and it may have a disastrous consequences in a coming decade if action won’t be taken today.

In fact, the global problem, has been already addressed before by the UK government. Environment Secretary George Eustice states that UK has made progress to turn the tide on single use plastics in previous years by banning the supply of plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds. This however has not yet put the end to this problem and there is still a lot of plastic wastage entering and threatening our environment…

Luckily, according by the latest BBC article, recently there has been control measures put in place that will tackle at last the plastic carelessly strewn across our environment. The new ban in fact has been focused on single-use plastic cutlery, plates and polystyrene cups and should be enrolled by April 2023.

So, as this new ban of Single use plastics has been put to force, we thought it would be useful to tell all our fellow Stroodlers exactly what the ban will be as well as how you can prepare for the changes that are yet to come.

What is the UK ban on single use plastics?

The new ban on Single-use plastic cutlery with its legislation processes still need to be approved by Parliament before it could actually be enforced  as a law. This is going to take a few more years and is said to be but to action by April 2023.

According to the article, UK Ministers are considering as well to put measures under the Environment Bill, such as a deposit return scheme on plastic bottles and a plastic packaging tax. Although a consultation on the The Environment Bill has finished in June 2021, this additional tool is still going through Parliament and is not yet a law.

So, what does this mean? Technically, single-use plastic plates, cups and cutlery will be banned in the UK in two coming years. There is possibility of additional items such as plastic bottles being taxed to encourage recycling.

What are single use plastics and why are they a problem?

A lot of us are using Single-use plastic products everyday without even thinking about where they might end up or what major effect it can have on us, our farms and marine life. Therefore, to understand the threat it brings to us and our environment, we think it would be wise to share with the Stroodlers some facts that are worth knowing.

Single-use plastics are plastic items, used only once before they are thrown away or recycled. Actually, only 9% of all plastic waste ever produced has been recycled. About 12% of it has been incinerated, while the rest 79%  — has accumulated in our natural environment.  Millions of tonnes of plastic floats in the ocean in giant islands of plastic trash and being feed on by seagulls, whales, fishes , turtles..What is even worse, when plastic is exposed to sunlight, it produces methane and ethylene, which can have a detrimental effect.. 

We are sure that, plastic might be an extraordinary substance with many useful applications, But it does not make sense to produce it for just a single use when it takes such a long time to perish and produces toxic materials while exposed in the wrong environment.

How you can prepare for these changes

With the new ban approaching, shops and supermarkets will not be allowed to sell plastic cutlery, nor all the catering establishments such as bars, restaurants and cafes in the UK, won’t be able to display plastic cutlery, hand them out, or even offer them to customers.

Due to these legal requirements and circumstances happening in coming years, there is hardly any possibility of fun picnics with friends or BBQ parties involving any plastic cutlery in use. Therefore, it is the best time to look for plastic alternatives, which luckily, already exist!

At Stroodles, we have always taken our commitment to creating solutions to plastic pollution very seriously. Ever since we started off with our signature pasta straw we knew this was just the beginning of our journey. Now with the UK banning single use plastics, we have extended our product range to edible cups, spoons, stirrers, plates, bowls and of course still have our famous pasta straws!  (Read the blog about our New Eco-Tableware range available for retail!)

Our new eco-tableware range is made up of exciting and original products , starting from spoons that  are made out of oat biscuit, plates that  are made out of wheat bran and lastly cups, that are the most adorable waffles! What is more, our entire product range is biodegradable, 100% edible, Vegan and is the perfect alternative to plastic straws, plastic plates, plastic spoons & plastic bowls.

With Stroodles you don't have to compromise your drinking and dining experience, you can actually make it even more delicious and exciting and most importantly you can do some good by Stroodling your favourite drinks or dishes.

If you want to start leading a more sustainable lifestyle and cut down on your plastic use, then why not check out our Pasta Straws and eco-tableware range here!