Ban on plastic straws in England goes into effect
A ban on plastic straws and stirrers went into effect Thursday, British officials said.
The plastic drinking tools were barred because they suck for the earth, George Eustice, the environment minister, said.
“Single-use plastics cause real devastation to the environment and this government is firmly committed to tackling this issue head on,” Eustice said in a statement.
An estimated 4.7 billion plastic straws are used annually in England, according to the U.K. government.
Plastic-stemmed cotton buds also got the boot.
Businesses can temporarily continue to supply banned products if they purchased them before Thursday, according to government guidance.
———
©2020 New York Daily News
Visit New York Daily News at www.nydailynews.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
