A ban on plastic cutlery, plates and polystyrene trays is coming into drive from 1 October. It applies to retailers, takeaways, meals distributors and different hospitality companies.
Corporations that proceed to make use of these single-use plastics after 1 October may very well be fined and, sure, native authorities will probably be finishing up inspections.
Nevertheless, these companies can nonetheless use plastic containers, trays and wraps. The federal government says that these things are classed as ‘packaging’ and can be handled below separate guidelines that shift the associated fee away from native authorities and on to packaging producers.
If this is applicable to your enterprise, you solely have a few days left to make use of up your current inventory.
The plastic restrictions in focus
The ban on these things will embrace:
- On-line and over-the-counter gross sales and provide
- Objects from new and current inventory
- All varieties of single-use plastic, together with biodegradable, compostable and recycled
- Objects wholly or partly constructed from plastic, together with coating or lining
There are exemptions on most objects included within the ban.
Plates, bowls and trays
You possibly can nonetheless provide single-use plastic plates, bowls and trays if both of the next apply:
- You’re supplying them to a different enterprise
- The objects are packaging (pre-filled or crammed on the level of sale)
Examples of this sort of packaging embrace:
- A pre-filled salad bowl or prepared meal packaged in a tray
- A plate crammed on the counter of a takeaway
- A tray used to ship meals
Polystyrene foods and drinks containers
You possibly can nonetheless provide single-use plastic plates, bowls and trays if both of the next apply:
- You’re supplying them to a different enterprise
- The objects are packaging (pre-filled or crammed on the level of sale)
Examples of this sort of packaging embrace:
- A pre-filled salad bowl or prepared meal packaged in a tray
- A plate crammed on the counter of a takeaway
- A tray used to ship meals
There are not any exemptions on cutlery and balloon sticks.
Extra data on the ban will be discovered on the federal government web site
If in case you have any questions concerning the plastic cutlery, plate and polystyrene ban, contact Plastics.Session@defra.gov.uk.
Many small companies unaware and unprepared
A current survey from the British Impartial Retail Affiliation (BIRA) warned that many small companies have been nonetheless unaware of, nor ready for, the modifications. CEO Andrew Goodacre mentioned: “We must always all need to do what we are able to, nevertheless it must be cheap for the enterprise.”
Robin Clark, international sustainability director at Simply Eat, informed the BBC that the UK takeaway trade used round 500m single use plastic bins final 12 months. The corporate urged the federal government to make extra sustainable packaging options extra extensively obtainable and inexpensive for companies and customers.
Learn extra
Plastic Packaging Tax – what does it imply for my small enterprise? – From April 2022, companies will probably be liable to pay Plastic Packaging Tax. We discover what it’s and whether or not it is going to have an effect on you
What’s Prolonged Producer Accountability? – Prolonged Producer Accountability places the accountability for recycling packaging supplies again onto the producer or importer. It’ll come into impact this 12 months and price UK companies a further £1.4bn in compliance charges
Inexperienced enterprise ideas from Deborah Meaden – Deborah Meaden shared three high ideas for any small enterprise proprietor who needs to run a inexperienced enterprise on the SME XPO in London
