Single-use plastics bans and restrictions
You must not supply certain single-use plastic items in England, except for some exemptions.
Applies to England
To report a business breaking the law, contact your local council.
Banned items
Online and over-the-counter sales and supply of the following single-use plastic items are banned:
- drinks stirrers
- balloon sticks
- cutlery
- food and drink containers made of expanded and extruded polystyrene
Food and drink containers mean items used to contain food or drink that is ready to be consumed without further preparation. For example, takeaways.
There are no exemptions to the ban on these single-use plastic items.
Restricted items
Online and over-the-counter sales and supply of the following single-use plastic items have restrictions:
- plates, bowls and trays
- straws
- cotton buds
This includes:
- all types of single-use plastic – including biodegradable, compostable and recycled plastic
- items wholly or partly made from plastic – including items with a plastic coating or lining, plastic additives, and plastic as part of a material mix, such as using plastic to bond layers of non-plastic materials
Exemptions for plates, bowls and trays
Businesses can supply single-use plastic plates, bowls and trays if either of the following apply:
- you are supplying them to another business
- the items are packaging, pre-filled or filled at the point of sale
Examples of this type of packaging include:
- a pre-filled salad bowl or ready meal packaged in a tray
- a salad bowl filled by the customer in store
- a plate filled at the counter of an establishment selling ready-to-consume food, such as a takeaway, bakery, canteen or public house
- a tray used to deliver food
Exemptions for straws
There are exemptions to the ban for some businesses.
Registered pharmacies
Registered pharmacies can supply single-use plastic straws, but must:
- not display straws to customers
- not advertise single-use plastic straws to customers in store (pharmacies can advertise them online)
- only give straws to customers who request them
Catering establishments
Catering establishments can supply single-use plastic straws with food and drink for immediate consumption, but must:
- keep straws where customers cannot see them or help themselves to them
- only give straws to customers who request them
- not offer them to customers either verbally or in writing
A catering establishment is any of these businesses that supply food or drink ready for consumption without further preparation:
- restaurant
- canteen
- club
- public house
- similar establishment including a vehicle or a fixed or mobile stall
Medical devices and uses
You can supply single-use plastic straws for use as a medical device or for medical purposes, including:
- preventative medicine
- medical diagnosis
- medical research
- providing medical care and treatment
Packaging
Drink products or cartons with an attached plastic straw are banned.
You can supply single-use plastic straws that are used as packaging. For example, some medicines are dispensed through a straw.
Care homes, prisons, schools and early years providers
You can supply single-use plastic straws in:
- care homes
- premises used for early years provision
- schools
- prisons or other places of detention
Exemptions for cotton buds
There are some exemptions to the ban on supplying single-use plastic cotton buds. This is for medical or scientific reasons.
Medical devices and purposes
You can supply single-use plastic cotton buds for use as medical devices or for medical purposes including:
- preventative medicine
- medical diagnosis
- medical research
- providing medical care and treatment
Forensic purposes
You can supply single-use plastic cotton buds to forensic service providers.
Scientific purposes
You can supply single-use plastic cotton buds for scientific purposes, including diagnostic, educational or research purposes.
Polystyrene containers for unprocessed or unprepared food
Polystyrene boxes used to transport unprocessed or unprepared food through the supply chain are not banned. For example, polystyrene boxes used by fishers to store and transport freshly caught fish.
What we mean by single use and reusable
A product is single-use if it is not designed or intended for reuse.
A product is reusable if it can be used safely and easily many times for its original intended purpose. For example, by being:
- refilled at home over an extended lifespan
- reused by a business for many circuits or rotations
You cannot relabel a single-use product as reusable if the product has had no changes to it. An unchanged single-use product would still be banned under these regulations.
Alternatives to single-use plastic
Reusable alternatives
Businesses can use reusable alternatives where appropriate. Consider reusable options such as ceramic, metal or glass. Reusable items are designed not to degrade and can be easily washed and reused. Examples include:
- reusable silicone straws with a travel case
- durable cutlery set with a travel case
- food containers with a sealable lid that are dishwasher, freezer, oven and microwave safe
- silicone sandwich and food bags that are dishwasher, freezer, oven and microwave safe
Single-use alternatives
If reusable alternatives are not appropriate, businesses can supply and sell single-use items made from other materials, such as wood or paper.
Enforcing the rules
Local authorities will carry out inspections to make sure the rules are being followed. Inspectors can:
- visit a shop or store
- make test purchases
- speak to staff
- ask to see records
If you break the law, you could be fined and ordered to cover the cost of the investigation.
Appealing a fine
You can appeal within 28 days of getting a fine if you think something is wrong. The letter with the fine will tell you what to do.
If you can show that you did everything you could to avoid breaking any rules, your appeal is likely to be accepted.
Get help
If you have any questions about what the new rules mean for your business, contact plastics.consultation@defra.gov.uk.
Technical information
Definition of plastic
Plastic is defined in The Environmental Protection (Plastic Plates etc. and Polystyrene Containers etc.) (England) Regulations 2023.
Expanded and extruded polystyrene
Polystyrene is a polymer made from styrene monomers. Only polystyrene that has been through a foaming process is in the scope of this ban. Foaming is a method of expansion of the material at any point during its manufacture, by any means (such as heat from steam, expansion during cooling), using any blowing agent (such as butane, pentane, propane).
Products made from polystyrene that has been expanded prior to fusion are expanded polystyrene (EPS) products.
Products made from polystyrene that has first been extruded, then expanded, are extruded polystyrene (XPS) products.
The following examples outline 2 manufacturing methods for EPS and XPS products. Other manufacturing processes for polystyrene products are also covered in the ban.
Expansion (foaming) prior to fusion (EPS)
Expandable polystyrene beads:
- Beads impregnated with blowing agent.
- Beads heated in a steam chamber to allow for bead expansion (foaming).
- Expanded beads pumped into product mould.
- Mould is heated to fuse beads.
- Item released from mould.
Extrusion prior to expansion (foaming) (XPS)
Polystyrene nurdles:
- Granules passed through an extruder to melt and for the addition of a blowing agent.
- Polystyrene passed out of an extruder, the reduced pressure and cooling allows for expansion (foaming).
- Polystyrene sheet formed into product shape.
- Polystyrene item cut from sheet, such as plastic carrier bags.
Updates to this page
Published 22 January 2024Last updated 7 October 2024 + show all updates
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We've updated this guidance to include a description of what we mean by single use and reusable, and some examples of reusable plastic items. We've added new subheadings for 'Banned items' and 'Restricted items' to support navigation through the guidance. We've added a link to the local council postcode finder, for people looking to report businesses breaking the law.
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First published.