Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

• In the UK, households collectively throw away an estimated 100 billion pieces of plastic packaging each year.
• In 2020, the UK government banned the sale of several single-use plastic products in England including straws, stirrers and cotton buds – but with exceptions for medical use.
• From October 1 2023, businesses in England are prohibited from selling several other single-use plastic products including plastic cutlery, balloon sticks and polystyrene cups.

What will the ban change?

• Plastics that are particularly difficult to recycle like polystyrene cups also have stricter rules, but with a few exceptions too.
• The new ban also doesn’t cover single-use plastic packaging.
• Single-use plastic packaging is one of the leading sources of plastic pollution in the UK.

How effective will the ban be?

• The new ban is a step towards tackling the impacts of pollution caused by single-use plastics.
• However, for such a ban to be genuinely effective, several key elements must be in place.
• This ensures that those affected understand the ban’s purpose and how its progress will be assessed, while also promoting accountability.
• The government’s new ban lacks any specific or measurable objectives.

Improving awareness

• For example, businesses were given several months after the consultation on the ban to prepare and use up excess stock.
• Adequate public awareness is also necessary to ensure everyone understands the reasons behind the ban, how it affects them, and what the available alternatives are.
• In Rwanda, where a ban on plastic bags was introduced in 2008, announcements were made on airlines and at ports of entry to inform visitors.
• In a similar way, the UK government’s recent ban is accompanied by official guidance explaining the ban’s implications.
• Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue.

• Todd Smith, announced support to advance the long-term planning and consultation work required to explore nuclear expansion options on the Bruce Power site.
• “Bruce Power is a leader in producing clean, reliable energy for people in Huron-Bruce County and across the province,” said Hon.
• Bruce Power is committed to meaningful engagement, and consultation with local Indigenous communities, including opportunities for participation.
• The long-term planning and consultation activities will not impact the company’s Life-Extension Program that will secure the site’s operation through 2064.

• Research from Wrap, a climate action charity, has found that 82% of UK households regularly add at least one item to their recycling collection that’s not accepted locally.
• And data from recycling facilities shows that over 16% of the recycling is contaminated.
• Plastic pots, tubs, trays and bottle tops along with metal lids may also count as contaminants – depending on where you live.
• In some instances, this confusion can even result in people just not bothering to recycle at all.

Breaking it down

• On top of each area operating its waste collection in a different way, lots of packaging now comes with confusing logos and messaging.
• We’re also now confronted with lots of multi-material packaging – those envelopes with plastic windows and also cake boxes and crisp tubes.
• If indeed you even have to separate your recyclables by type where you are.

Crackdown on confusion

• Wishcycling is when people optimistically stick items in the recycling bin hoping they can be collected when in reality they can’t.
• Defra has said it wants to make recycling easier and more consistent so that all councils collect the same materials.
• Others were storing plastic fruit netting for fear of it not being appropriately dealt with and ending up causing environmental harm.
• Tackling the confusion around what can and can’t be recycled is also needed because it’s adding to plastics’ bad reputation.

• The "Industrial Hemp Market, Global Forecast 2023-2028, Industry Trends, Growth, Impact of Inflation, Opportunity Company Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
• Global Industrial Hemp Market will grow to US$ 15.01 Billion in 2028, according to the publisher.
• Based on the Product, Global Industrial Hemp Market was categorized into four types: Seeds, Stalks, Fibers, and Others.
• By Products - Global Industrial Hemp Market will divided into four types: