To: Rebecca Pow - Environment Minister

The UK must match the rest of Europe and ban single-use plastic

WHAT A CAMPAIGN WIN! 🙌

Thanks to each and every one of you that signed the petition, we caused the gov to open a consultation into the ban and more than 50,000 incredible people fed into it, sharing their views on a ban. It's now their move. Will they listen and take action to ban some of the most polluting single-use plastics sooner rather than later??

Visit our website to stay up to date on what's happening and find out how to get more involved with our vital plastic pollution campaigning work https://www.citytosea.org.uk/

With love from us and love from the oceans,

Jo and the City to Sea team 🌊

We’re calling for an urgent ban on some of the most polluting single-use items including cutlery, plates and polystyrene food containers - all of which have now been banned across Europe!

From July 3rd 2021 single-use plastic cutlery, plates and polystyrene (amongst other things) have been banned across Europe as part of the EU’s Single-use Plastics Directive. The ban was agreed by the UK when we were part of the EU, but now Westminister is dragging its feet.

If the UK wants to be a “global leader” then it has to lead on important environmental issues, not fall behind. In the wake of the G7 summit, and in the lead up to COP26, when the eyes of the world are on the UK, the government is not only failing to take the lead on tackling plastics but is falling behind our European neighbours and devolved nations within the UK.

Although not being part of the EU, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are ALL looking to implement this ban. Northern Ireland is compelled under the Norther Ireland Protocol to have to have transposed “certain articles” of the Directive by 2022 and both Scotland and Wales have proposed bans in their own domestic markets.

Add your voice & tell the government that they must match EU legislation on single-use plastic at the very least.

Why is this important?

The government has yet to open a consultation on the issue which means a decision, or a ban could be months, or even years away. We are now in danger of falling behind the rest of Europe in implementing these very minimum of steps.

Despite the welcome banning of straws, stirrers and cotton buds, in October 2020, the UK has yet to legislate for the banning of the rest of the items included under the Directive, which we know to be among the most polluting.

Packaging from take-away food and drinks is a huge cause of plastic pollution and items like plastic cutlery and take-away containers are consistently in the top ten most polluting items found on beaches around the world.

New research has revealed that food containers and food wrappers are amongst the four most widespread items polluting our oceans, rivers and beaches.

How it will be delivered

We will deliver the signatures to the government to feed into their consultation process.

This petition is run by the plastic pollution campaigning organisation City to Sea with support from Greenpeace UK.

City to Sea is an environmental not-for-profit, campaigning to stop plastic pollution at source. https://www.citytosea.org.uk/

Partner

City to Sea

Links

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Updates

2022-02-18 11:08:33 +0000

Petition is successful with 118,281 signatures

2021-12-04 16:52:46 +0000

100,000 signatures reached

2021-11-30 11:31:28 +0000

This petition is run by plastic pollution campaigning organisation City to Sea. Our award-winning campaigns are tackling the single-use plastic items most found on our beaches and in our rivers and oceans by providing practical, solutions-focused initiatives and championing reuse over single-use.

Find out more about our campaigns and how you can get involved here: https://www.citytosea.org.uk/

2021-11-30 11:05:10 +0000

MASSIVE CAMPAIGN WIN!

In case you missed the news, last week DEFRA finally launched a consultation into the banning of some of the most polluting single-use plastic items.

This is EXACTLY what we asked for. YOU helped make this happen.

The good news is, DEFRA has also promised to look at other problem plastics like wet wipes and cigarette butts. But hold on to your plastic party poppers. We’re not there yet. They're also only planning to introduce any changes in 2023 – 2 years after the rest of the EU and a year after Scotland plans to introduce the same bans. This isn’t good enough. We don’t have time to wait!

We’re working on a response to the consultation now & will be in touch soon to let you know how you can have your say. We need as many people as possible to take part as possible.

In the meantime, share the petition far & wide – let’s see if we can get to 100,000 signatures!

2021-07-14 14:21:55 +0100

50,000 signatures reached

2021-07-13 11:47:54 +0100

20,000 signatures reached

2021-07-10 20:15:32 +0100

10,000 signatures reached

2021-07-09 16:37:00 +0100

5,000 signatures reached

2021-07-09 13:51:21 +0100

1,000 signatures reached

2021-07-09 13:43:02 +0100

500 signatures reached

2021-07-09 13:37:59 +0100

100 signatures reached

2021-07-09 13:37:00 +0100

50 signatures reached

2021-07-09 13:36:14 +0100

25 signatures reached

2021-07-09 12:02:09 +0100

10 signatures reached