Plastic straw ban legislation enters parliament

The government on Tuesday (3 March) has laid in parliament a legislation to ban the supply of plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds.

The regulation prohibits retail establishments from displaying, supplying or offering to supply plastic straws to customers. However, retailers can provide them on request.

The ban is expected to take effect on 6 April, once its gets parliament’s approval.

The ban will not be applied to plastic straws attached to the packaging of a drink product and intended to be used to consume that drink till 3 July 2021.

Registered pharmacies will be allowed to sell plastic straws over the counter or online, to ensure that those with medical needs or a disability are able to access them.

The government has committed to carry out a review after one year to assess the impact of the ban.

“Our ban on plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds is yet another measure to clamp down on unnecessary plastic so we can better protect our precious wildlife and leave our environment in a better state for future generations,” said Environment Minister Rebecca Pow.

The measure is part of the government’s Resources and Waste Strategy to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste and follows a ban on microbeads and the introduction of a 5p charge on plastic bags in major supermarkets.

The government also plans to introduce a deposit return scheme for drinks containers as part of the strategy.