Ban single-use packaging in restaurants, cafés, and bars

Plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental issues we face. Yet in hundreds of thousands of cafés, bars and restaurants across the country, we’re still being served food and drink in single-use packaging – even when we’re eating in!

It’s wasteful, unnecessary and can easily be avoided by replacing single-use packaging with reusable cups, crockery and cutlery which get washed instead of thrown away after just one use.

With only 12% of Britain's plastic known to be recycled, it’s time to take single-use off the menu – for good.

This isn’t pie in the sky thinking or even a new idea. It’s how we always used to have our food served to us. And it's already law in neighbouring countries like France. If you walk into any food outlet in France, even fast-food restaurants like McDonalds, your food will now be served in ‘reusable packaging’ - usually just a plate and cutlery.

Since France introduced this in January 2023, it has been estimated that they are saving 180,000 tonnes of packaging every year! That’s nearly 1,000 blue whales or over 25,000 African elephants in weight!

The British Government has already committed to removing all avoidable plastics by 2042. Yet despite this, there hasn’t even been a feasibility study for this ban here. If they really are serious about eliminating pointless plastics, this ban is one of the easiest and most obvious steps the government can take to tackle the plastic crisis.

Sign to tell Environment Secretary Steve Barclay to ban single-use packaging in restaurants, cafés, and bars.