MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
England's to ban plastic straws, cotton buds and drink stirrers by April 2020
The decision follows “overwhelming public support for the move” a statement by Michael Gove, Secretary of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said. 
“These items are often used for just a few minutes but take hundreds of years to break down, ending up in our seas and oceans and harming precious marine life” Plastic straws, drinks stirrers, and plastic-stemmed cotton buds will be banned in England from April 2020, British Environment Secretary Michael Gove said on Wednesday.
The decision follows “overwhelming public support for the move” a statement by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said.
“These items are often used for just a few minutes but take hundreds of years to break down, ending up in our seas and oceans and harming precious marine life,” Mr. Gove said in the statement.
“So today I am taking action to turn the tide on plastic pollution, and ensure we leave our environment in a better state for future generations.”
The ban will include exemptions to ensure that those with medical needs or a disability are able to continue to access plastic straws.
The use of plastic-stemmed cotton buds for medical and scientific purposes will also be allowed.
An estimated 4.7 billion plastic straws, 316 million plastic stirrers and 1.8 billion plastic-stemmed cotton buds are used annually in England, the ministry said.
Mr. Gove added that the announcement follows the success of a ban on micro-beads and 5-pence charge on single-use plastic bags, which has seen distribution by major supermarkets drop by 86%.
Earlier this year, the British government also launched a consultation on a tax on plastic packaging which does not contain a minimum of 30% recycled content from April 2022, the statement said.
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May 23rd, 2019 - 11:12 am 0Michael Gove..., Engrish Secretary of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs stated...:
***” Today I am taking action to turn the tide on plastic pollution, and ensure we leave our environment in a better state for future generations....”***
What a Engrish Local Hero..., I say...
Wonder where he did get the divine inspiration to do the right thing...
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-19-2631_en.htm ...............................maybe...?
Shhhh, we don't want people to change their minds.
May 23rd, 2019 - 01:51 pm 0I just hope they find a better alternative, paper straws are awful.
The bureaucracy is minimum/nil in Brazil; for those who are eager to increase pollution + spoil the environments:
May 26th, 2019 - 03:14 pm 0https://twitter.com/g1/status/1132663934098518017
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