WHAT A CAMPAIGN WIN! 🙌
Thanks to each and every one of you that signed the petition, we caused the gov to open a consultation into the ban and more than 50,000 incredible people fed into it, sharing their views on a ban. It's now their move. Will they listen and take action to ban some of the most polluting single-use plastics sooner rather than later??
Visit our website to stay up to date on what's happening and find out how to get more involved with our vital plastic pollution campaigning work https://www.citytosea.org.uk/
With love from us and love from the oceans,
Jo and the City to Sea team 🌊
We’re calling for an urgent ban on some of the most polluting single-use items including cutlery, plates and polystyrene food containers - all of which have now been banned across Europe!
From July 3rd 2021 single-use plastic cutlery, plates and polystyrene (amongst other things) have been banned across Europe as part of the EU’s Single-use Plastics Directive. The ban was agreed by the UK when we were part of the EU, but now Westminister is dragging its feet.
If the UK wants to be a “global leader” then it has to lead on important environmental issues, not fall behind. In the wake of the G7 summit, and in the lead up to COP26, when the eyes of the world are on the UK, the government is not only failing to take the lead on tackling plastics but is falling behind our European neighbours and devolved nations within the UK.
Although not being part of the EU, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are ALL looking to implement this ban. Northern Ireland is compelled under the Norther Ireland Protocol to have to have transposed “certain articles” of the Directive by 2022 and both Scotland and Wales have proposed bans in their own domestic markets.
Add your voice & tell the government that they must match EU legislation on single-use plastic at the very least.
Why is this important?
The government has yet to open a consultation on the issue which means a decision, or a ban could be months, or even years away. We are now in danger of falling behind the rest of Europe in implementing these very minimum of steps.
Despite the welcome banning of straws, stirrers and cotton buds, in October 2020, the UK has yet to legislate for the banning of the rest of the items included under the Directive, which we know to be among the most polluting.
Packaging from take-away food and drinks is a huge cause of plastic pollution and items like plastic cutlery and take-away containers are consistently in the top ten most polluting items found on beaches around the world.
New research has revealed that food containers and food wrappers are amongst the four most widespread items polluting our oceans, rivers and beaches.
How it will be delivered
We will deliver the signatures to the government to feed into their consultation process.
This petition is run by the plastic pollution campaigning organisation City to Sea with support from Greenpeace UK.
City to Sea is an environmental not-for-profit, campaigning to stop plastic pollution at source. https://www.citytosea.org.uk/