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Single-use plastics ban

Ban on the sale and supply of single-use plastics

From 1 October 2023, the Government introduced new legislation prohibiting the sale, supply and offer of single-use plastic plates, bowls, trays, containers, cutlery and balloon sticks. Furthermore, businesses must not supply ready-to-consume food and drink in polystyrene containers.

The ban on these items includes:

  • Online and over-the-counter sales and supply
  • Items from new and existing stock
  • All types of single-use plastic, including biodegradable, compostable and recycled
  • Items wholly or partly made from plastic, including coating or lining

'Single-use' means the item is meant to be used only once for its original purpose.

From 1 October 2023, you must not supply single-use plastic plates, trays and bowls to the public.

Exemptions

You can still supply single-use plastic plates, bowls and trays if either of the following apply:

  • You are supplying them to another business
  • The items are packaging (pre-filled or filled at the point of sale)

Examples of this type of packaging include:

  • A pre-filled salad bowl or ready meal packaged in a tray
  • A plate filled at the counter of a takeaway
  • A tray used to deliver food

From 1 October 2023, you must not supply single-use plastic cutlery or balloon sticks.

There are no exemptions to this ban.

From 1 October 2023, you must not supply ready-to-consume food and drink in polystyrene containers. This includes in polystyrene cups.

Polystyrene means expanded and extruded polystyrene.

Exemptions

You can still supply food or drink in polystyrene containers if it needs further preparation before it is consumed. For example, further preparation could mean:

  • Adding water
  • Microwaving
  • Toasting

How to adapt to these new requirements

You might look to source re-usable alternatives to single-use items such as reusable plates, bowls and cutlery, metal cutlery for in-house guests, and using large, self-serve reusable pots for sauces instead of sachets. You might also offer to refill customer water bottles or encourage them to bring their own clean containers for takeaway food.

You might also look to source different materials for single-use items such as wood-based cutlery and paper-based plates, bamboo or wooden cutlery for takeaway food.

Read the full guidance on the single-use plastics ban on the GOV.UK website. On the Government's guidance page, you can find an email address for DEFRA should you require further advice and assistance. They can also provide technical information for manufacturers on expanded and extruded polystyrene.

View The Environmental Protection (Plastic Plates etc. and Polystyrene Containers etc.) (England) Regulations 2023 (legislation.gov.uk).

Enforcement

These bans will be enforced by local authorities through their Trading Standards Officers. A range of enforcement options have been provided, including both civil and criminal sanctions. These options include a compliance notice, non-compliance penalty, stop notice and fixed monetary penalty.

Frequently asked questions

Read DEFRA's list of frequently asked questions to find out more.

From 1 October 2023, the following items are subject to bans:

  • Single use plastic cutlery
  • Single use plastic balloon sticks
  • Expanded and extruded polystyrene food and drinks containers
  • Expanded and extruded polystyrene cups

From 1 October 2023, the following items are subject to restrictions:

  • Single use plastic plates, bowls, and trays

Subject to existing bans:

  • Single use plastic drink stirrers
  • Microbeads in rinse-off personal care products

Subject to existing restrictions:

  • Single use plastic straws
  • Plastic stemmed cotton buds

We also continue to have a 10 pence charge for single-use plastic carrier bags.

Only items listed here are subject to bans or restrictions e.g. a cup that is not made from expanded or extruded polystyrene is not banned.

Only when used for packaging. You can still supply and provide single-use plastic plates, bowls and trays if the items are packaging (pre-filled or filled at the point of sale).

An example of this would be a takeaway restaurant filling a single use plastic bowl with food and sending this to customers for consumption. For clarity, plastic plates, bowls, and trays that are used as packaging can be used in eat-in and takeaway settings. However, we strongly encourage businesses to explore how they can reduce the use of these single-use items and move to reusable alternatives instead e.g. reusable metal cutlery rather than disposable plastic.

No. You can continue to supply coffee cups with polystyrene lids, provided the cup itself is not made from expanded or extruded polystyrene.

Yes, you can still supply single-use plastic plates, bowls and trays if you are supplying them to another business (even if they are not filled at the point of sale).

An example of this would be a distribution company or supplier of single use plastic products that sell single use plastic plates, bowls or trays to another business. It is the responsibility of the other business to ensure these are then filled at the point of sale to the end user.

No, these items when made from biodegradable and compostable plastics are subject to the same restrictions as these items when made from fossil-based plastics. Biodegradable and compostable plastics are still plastics (even if they are made from plant-based feedstocks). This is consistent with our previous single-use plastic bans.

Yes. Bio-based and compostable plastics are still plastics. Depending on the polymer, bio-based feedstocks can be used to produce the same plastics as conventional fossil-based feedstocks.

Generally, compostable plastics are not designed for reuse and are therefore inherently single use in nature. Additionally, the current standard for compostable plastic (EN 13432) requires treatment in industrial composting facilities. The Standard does not require total breakdown of plastics in the final compost, so may be a source of microplastic pollution.

The 2021 Government response to our call for evidence on standards for bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics provides more detail on our position. You can read the Government response here.

In our consultation, it clearly stated that the proposed restrictions would “include all plastics, including bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics. We asked respondents about this proposal and the significant majority agreed - 78% for plastic plates and cutlery, 79% for Expanded & Extruded Polystyrene (EPS) food and beverage containers, and 81% for plastic balloon sticks.

No

This is a ban on single-use expanded and extruded polystyrene food and drinks containers that are used to contain food and drink that is ready-to-consume. This includes polystyrene cups.

Therefore, you can continue to use and be supplied with polystyrene containers for other uses, such as to transport unprocessed or unprepared food. For example, polystyrene boxes used to transport frozen fish are not in scope of the ban.

No, there are no provisions to use up existing stock. From 1 October businesses will need to find alternative substitutes or reuse solutions for these items.

The Government Response to the consultation on these bans, published in January, set out that these restrictions would be introduced from October 2023 instead of April 2023, giving businesses more time to prepare.

We encourage businesses to recycle unused stock where possible. Businesses will need to seek Local Authority guidance to determine what can be recycled in their area.

Defra’s view is that individuals not acting in the course of a business can donate stock to a non-business, for example a charity such as a homeless shelter, where there is no gain to a business. Please note this should not be relied on as legal advice.

These bans will be enforced by Local Authorities through their Trading Standards officers. A range of enforcement options have been provided, including both civil and criminal sanctions. These options include a compliance notice, non-compliance penalty, stop notice, and fixed monetary penalty.

This is to avoid duplication or confusion with Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging, which will be coming into effect in the near future.

Only polystyrene that has been through a foaming process is in the scope of this ban. Foaming is a method of expansion of the material at any point during its manufacture by any means, using any blowing agent.

For the purposes of this ban, products made from polystyrene that has first been extruded, then expanded are extruded polystyrene products.

Ban on plastic straws, cotton buds and drink stirrers

On 3 July 2021, legislation came into force preventing businesses from supplying or selling:

  • Single-use plastic straws to members of the public
  • Drinks products with single-use plastic straws attached to the packaging
  • Single-use plastic cotton buds to members of the public
  • Single-use plastic stirrers to members of the public or to businesses

Some exemptions apply to straws and cotton buds.

The ban includes:

  • Online and over-the-counter sales and supply
  • All types of single-use plastic, including biodegradable, compostable and recycled plastic
  • Items wholly or partly made from plastic, including coating or lining

‘Single use’ means the item is meant to be used only once for its original purpose.

Read the full guidance on the straws, cotton buds and drink stirrers ban on the GOV.UK website.

View the Environmental Protection (Plastic Straws, Cotton Buds and Stirrers) (England) Regulations 2020 (legislation.gov.uk)

Ban on the use of microbeads in the manufacture and sale of rinse-off personal care products

The Environmental Protection (Microbeads) (England) Regulations 2017 (and the equivalent regulations for Scotland and Wales) prohibit the manufacture and sale of rinse-off personal care products containing plastic microbeads.

The Government introduced the Regulations to reduce plastic pollution in the oceans. The pieces of plastic used as microbeads are washed down the drain after use and cannot be filtered out by many wastewater treatment plants. Therefore they easily enter and pollute waterways. Although microbeads only represent a small proportion of the plastic waste in the ocean, fish and other marine animals can eat them (because of their size), introducing potentially toxic substances into the food chain.

Read guidance on microbeads on the Business Companion website.

Charging for single-use carrier bags

Since 21 May 2021, retailers of any size (large, medium, small, micro and airport retailers) must charge a minimum of 10p for single-use carrier bags in England. You could receive a fine if you do not charge this fee.

Only large retailers are required to record and report the number of single-use carrier bags they sell in England. A large retailers employs 250 or more full-time equivalent employees (in total and not just in retail roles) in a year.

Read guidance on retailers' responsibilities for carrier bag charges on the GOV.UK website.

Published: 29 April 2024