Raft of single-use plastic items to be banned in England: govt
January 14, 2023, 11:33 am

Raft of single-use plastic items to be banned in England: govt

Plastic recycling is the reprocessing of plastic waste into new products - Pic. Pixabay

England will ban a wide range of single-use plastic items from October including plates and cutlery in order to limit their "devastating" effect on the environment, the government said Saturday.

The new legislation will also cover single-use trays and certain types of polystyrene cups and food containers, the environment ministry announced.

The department said England uses around 2.7 billion items of single-use cutlery per year, mostly plastic, with only one in 10 items recycled.

Environmental policy is a devolved issue for the governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The UK government in London sets policy in England.

Similar legislation has already been passed in Scotland and Wales.

Repeated breaches of the ban could end up constituting a criminal offence with offenders running the risk of a fine, said the department.

"We all know the absolutely devastating impacts that plastic can have on our environment and wildlife," said UK Environment Secretary Therese Coffey.

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"We have listened to the public and these new single-use plastics bans will continue our vital work to protect the environment for future generations," she added.

The ban will not extend to supermarket ready meals, said the government.

Matt Hood, managing director at supermarket chain Co-op, welcomed the ban.

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"We have been at the forefront of eradicating unnecessary plastic, so it is encouraging to see this ban being introduced and we have already removed plastic cutlery from our food to go, offering wooden forks instead," he said.

But environmental group Greenpeace UK said the plans did not go far enough.

"Whilst it's welcome that the government's finally banned certain items, we're dealing with a plastic flood, and this is like reaching for a mop instead of turning off the tap," said Megan Randles, political campaigner for Greenpeace UK.

"It's time to stop pandering to industry lobbyists; stop promoting false solutions; and stop dumping our plastic waste in countries that have done the least to cause the climate crisis," she added.

Source: anews

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”