On 15 April 2020. In view of the huge pressure on the operation of enterprises and local governments caused by the new crown virus, the British Ministry of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has postponed the UK's "plastic straw, blender and cotton swab ban" for six months.
The ban was originally planned to take effect at the end of April. The ban was decided in the fall of 2018 after extensive consultations and "great support".
The British government confirmed in May 2019 that the ban will be implemented, but the ban also ensures that medical uses and people with disabilities can continue to use plastic straws.
However, a spokesman for the British Ministry of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said that the decision to extend the ban to October 2020 was due to the disruption of the supply chain of the aforementioned disposable plastic products due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.
This delay in legislation is Defra's first policy response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Defra said that there will be only very small changes in the recall and re-implementation of the ban, and that the scope and exemption clauses of the ban will remain unchanged.
Provisions related to the transition period allow retailers to continue supplying existing inventory. The date was modified to accommodate the extension of the ban. The date update also applies to the establishment date of the inventory, which was postponed from April 30, 2020 to October 2020.
The delay in the ban on "plastic straws, cotton swabs and stir bars" is considered a "temporary" initiative. And a Defra spokesman reiterated that the British government has, as always, committed to reverse the expansion of disposable plastic products and eliminate its threat of the natural environment.
The delay in the Defra ban only applies to England.
It is estimated that 4.7 billion plastic straws, 316 million plastic stirring rods and 1.8 billion cotton rods made of plastic rods are consumed in England every year.
Once the ban is implemented, registered pharmacies are allowed to sell plastic straws at store counters and online.
Dining places such as restaurants, bars, and taverns will not allow active display, active distribution, and active provision of plastic straws, but they can be provided at the request of customers.
We can use paper straw and the other eco friendly tableware( like bagasse tableware, CPLA cutlery) when we need disposable products. Using more green packaging products to protect our earth.
