A ban on the sale of some single-use plastic products came into force in Wales on 30 October. The ban also covers providing single-use plastic products to customers free of charge. This is just the first stage in the fight against plastic pollution.

The ban applies to a range of products, including plates, cutlery, drinks stirrers, cups made of expanded or foamed extruded polystyrene, takeaway food containers of the same material, balloon sticks, cotton buds with plastic stems, and drinking straws, nation.cymru reports.

Julie James, Minister for Climate Change, said the Act "builds on momentum created by communities across Wales who have chosen to go plastic free, defy throwaway culture and tackle littering." According to polling, public support for the ban reached 87%.

The minister added: "We’re committed to eradicating single-use plastic and our next phase will see the banning of plastic single-use carrier bags, polystyrene lids for cups and food containers and products made of oxo-degradable plastic, which will come into force before the end of the Senedd (Welsh Parliament - editor's note) term."

Oxo-degradable plastic breaks down into microplastic particles over time. Analogous regulations to the Welsh ban of 30 October are already in force in the European Union, including Poland.

Environmental activists remind us that some disposables could be eliminated altogether, instead of replacing them with perhaps more biodegradable but still disposable items. They stress that there is no logical reason why grown-up, healthy people could not give up using straws or packing each vegetable or fruit in the shop in a separate plastic bag.

Source: nation.cymru