The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the introduction of its ban on plastic straws, cotton buds and stirrers will be postponed until October 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Due to be introduced this month, Defra has taken the decision to defer the implementation of the ban as “supply chain disruption due to the Covid-19 outbreak may make sourcing alternatives to single-use plastics challenging” in the current moment.
When the ban is introduced the scope and exemptions to the ban will remain the same and the transitional dates that allow retailers to continue supplying existing stock will be adjusted to reflect the new October start date.
A Defra spokesperson reassured that the delay was “a temporary measure” and that the government remained “absolutely committed to turning the tide on widespread use of single-use plastics”.