Wales set to reintroduce single-use plastics ban.

The bans that were delayed have been reintroduced to help tackle pollution from single use plastics as there has been a cause for concern for a while.

Many environmental issues surround the single-use plastics issue where Wales are set to ban plastic bags, plates, cutlery, straws, stirrers, and cotton buds. Wales must “avoid leaving a toxic legacy” to future generations said Climate Change Minister, Julie James.

Throughout the rest of the United Kingdom there are bans already held on:

• plastic straws (with an exemption for medical or care needs).

• thin single-use plastic bags.

• plates, cutlery, and stirrers.

• cotton buds.

• polystyrene takeaway containers, cups, and lids.

However now, nowhere in the UK has barred the sale of plastic wet wipes or single-use carrier bags, it is shocking considering that the UK has 2.12 billion single-use plastic bags that were reported in circulation during 2016 to 2017. However ever since government enforcement on alternatives the UK has brought that number down to 564 million plastic bags within 2019 to 2020 which shows the positive trend that less people and businesses are using plastic bags.

The Welsh government said that this law would been introduced sooner however post-Brexit legislations caused complications that did not allow for the draft bill to be written at the time. In addition to that, the delayed write up of the draft bill is currently undergoing the scrutiny process before it becomes a law which allows local councils powers to enforce the single-use plastics ban as mentioned in the list above.

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