The Local Government Association (LGA) has raised concerns that businesses may not know about the ban on certain single-use plastic items coming into effect this weekend.
From Sunday (1 October), businesses will be unable to sell or offer single-use plastic plates, trays, bowls and cutlery, ready-to-consume food and drink in polystyrene containers, or plastic balloon sticks.
If companies do not comply, councils’ enforcement costs will increase, at a time when trading standards teams face resource and workforce pressures, and authorities will have to continue disposing of the materials, the LGA said.
The cross-party organisation has continued to call on the Government to introduce Extended Producer Responsibility to incentivise producers to make more packaging recyclable.
LGA environment spokesperson Cllr Darren Rodwell: ‘Councils are sure that businesses want to comply with these new regulations and keep plastic waste to a minimum.
‘However, we are concerned that some local businesses and consumers are not aware of the impending ban on these materials and would encourage everyone to take a look at the materials impacted by it.’
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