Cumberland Council is reminding businesses that the Government is introducing a ban on certain single use plastics from Sunday 1 October.
The ban includes:
- Single-use plastic plates, trays and bowls
- Single-use plastic cutlery
- Balloon sticks
- Ready-to-consume food and drink in polystyrene containers.
There are some exemptions to the ban, depending on the item, and for more information, please refer to the Government’s website.
The ban will be enforced by Cumberland Trading Standard Officers, who will be able to inspect business premises, obtain samples of the items in which the food and drink are being provided and impose fines for non-compliance.
This will mean that Cumberland Council inspectors will be able to:
- visit a shop or store
- make test purchases
- speak to staff
- ask to see records
This means if businesses break the law, Trading Standard Officers can order businesses to cover the cost of the investigation.
Councillor Bob Kelly, Cumberland Council’s Executive Portfolio Holder for Cumberland Policy and Regulatory Services, said:
“Cumberland Council fully supports the ban on single-use plastics, which are items that are only meant to be used once for its original purpose.
“The ban covers a range of plastic items including cutlery, plates, bowls, balloon sticks and certain styles of polystyrene cups and food containers that are used to supply ready-to-eat food.
“This means that businesses need to find re-usable alternatives and use different materials for single-use items.
“The ban will have a significant impact on reducing plastic and littering.
“It is vital that we reduce the amount of plastic that ultimately contaminates our rivers and oceans, causing harm to our wildlife”.
Around the world, it is estimated that over one million birds and 100,000 marine mammals and turtles die every year from eating or getting tangled in plastic waste.
According to estimates, England uses 1.1 billion single-use plates and 4.25 billion items of single-use cutlery — most of which are plastic — per year, but only 10% are recycled upon disposal.
If you want to contact Trading Standards, please visit the Cumberland Council website.