Following in Wales and Scotland's footsteps, the government has announced a ban on certain single-use plastics in England. 

Starting on October 1, 2023, businesses will be prohibited from providing, selling, or offering a range of single-use plastic items. These restricted items include plates, bowls, trays, cutlery, balloon sticks, and food and drink containers made from polystyrene.

According to government statistics, a staggering 1.1 billion disposable plates and over four billion items of plastic cutlery are utilized annually in England (a rather alarming figure). 

While the UK has already taken action to tackle plastic waste it is deemed that current policies in place do not sufficiently address the challenge. The need to reduce select single-use plastic items remains, particularly as such items are often found littered. Regrettably, the sole destination for these plastic items is the landfill, where they will remain for an exceptionally long time. 

Which items are banned?

The single-use plastic ban covers all plastic disposable cutlery, EPS food containers, plates and cups, and select plastic, bowls and trays.

Which items are not affected by the ban?

Plastic plates, bowls and trays are NOT subject to the ban if you are supplying them to another business or the items are packaging (pre-filled or filled at the point of sale). Check out GOV UK's website here for further details. 

Are Shmoo disposables ok to use?

We've had a lot of questions asked regarding Shmoo disposables, and can confirm these are not affected by the ban. If you weren't aware, Shmoo cups and lids are made from 50% recycled material, and are fully recyclable.