Plastic straws, cutlery and polystyrene food containers are just a few of the items set to be banned as the Welsh government cracks down on single-use plastics.

To mark Global Recycling Day, the Welsh government has announced plans to restrict single-use, hard to recycle and commonly littered plastics, as part of wider efforts to tackle the problem of plastic pollution, and help move Wales towards a circular economy.

In a 2019 Welsh government study, a large proportion of litter collected was made up of plastic items, which particularly affect Wales’ beaches, coasts and marine life.

The aim of these new measures, which will be put to a consultation in the coming months, is to prevent litter from occurring in the first place, keeping valuable resources in the system and minimising the amount of waste transported to landfill sites.

‘The single use plastics we want to ban are hard to recycle and often found on the beaches and seas around our coast, blighting our beautiful country and harming our natural and marine environments,’ said deputy minister for housing and local government, Hannah Blythyn.

‘It is vital we don’t throw away our future – which is why we believe taking this direct action will have a significant impact on changing people’s behaviour and make them think about their waste when “on-the-go”.’

‘The measures I am announcing today are part of a range of potential solutions to the plastic problem,’ the deputy minister continued.

‘I am committed to working with stakeholders to understand the impact of this proposal, particularly on any citizens who may be reliant on some of the items we have included, to make sure we get it right.

‘We’ll be launching a consultation on the proposals soon, and I want to encourage the people of Wales to share their views with us.’