England bans single-use plastics!

The Story

For tens of thousands of years, humans used tools made from stone, metal, wood, and shells. Tools like knives to cut and spoons to eat were used for a lifetime if not more.

Then came plastic.

Single-use plastic utensils came about in the 1940s, were mass-produced in the 1950s, and skyrocketed in popularity and usage in the 1960s along with the fast-food explosion.

But the UK took a look at their 1.1 billion single-use plates and 4 billion pieces of plastic cutlery used every year in their country alone, and said enough is enough! The ban will pertain to single-use plastic items mostly related to takeaway food and drink. Plastic waste ends up in our oceans, takes hundreds of years to decompose, and is one of the most littered items in the world.

This story means that large countries around the world are seriously battling the plastic pollution crisis and that someday soon, our land and waters could be plastic-free.

Single-use plastic cutlery and plates to be banned in England

Figures suggest more than four billion pieces of single-use cutlery are used in England each year.

BBC NewsMarc Ashdown & Lora JonesBusiness reporters, BBC News

Take Action

Whether or not it's legal in your country, avoid single-use plastic whenever you can.

Instead, bring and use a reusable water bottle, a porcelain mug, your own metal cutlery, Tupperware containers, cloth tote bags, etc.

While you're at it, support Beyond Plastics, whose mission is to end plastic pollution everywhere.