Single use plastics: what other countries are doing

Take a look at what has been banned, or is proposed to be be banned soon, in different states of Australia . . .

The corporation Mars Wrigley Australia has developed paper-based wrappers and now those wrappers are planned to be rolled out in other countries too for Mars Bars, Snickers and Milky Ways. France has begun enforcing specific targets designed at reducing single-use plastic package waste by 2025, with plastic plates, cups and cotton buds banned since January 2022.

Here in the UK, Scotland and Wales have had bans on the use of certain single use plastics since 2021 and finally we are now hearing that England will have similar bans coming into force from October this year, 2023.  The ban will apply to the hospitality industry, including takeaways and other food vendors. It covers single-use plastic cutlery, plates, trays, bowls and balloon sticks as well as some types of polystyrene food containers and cups.

It is a start, but other countries have moved faster than us on this and there is no mention of banning plastic in wet wipes or sachets or tea-bags etc. So until such bans are in place we have to specifically look for plastic free options of these to buy, or simply refuse to use those sachets.  We have  choice over what we spend our hard-earned money on and we can make those choices count for something.