Venues need to act now in order to prepare for the ban on single-use plastic in England, according to Michael Begley, managing director of venuedirectory.com.
The ban, to be introduced in October, includes single-use plastic plates, trays, bowls, cutlery and certain types of polystyrene cups and food containers.
“Venues now need to get the ball rolling so that they have sustainable measures in place ahead of
the ban”, said Begley. “This means working closely with suppliers to source biodegradable substitutes such as
paper cups, bamboo crockery or wooden cutlery.
“The Government’s ban is a welcome move on the journey to achieving Net Zero carbon emissions
by 2050. According to estimates, England uses 2.7 billion items of single-use cutlery — most of which
are plastic — and 721 million single-use plates per year, but only 10 per cent are recycled.
“The ban follows similar moves in Scotland and Wales - but England has some catching up to do. The
country currently lags behind the EU, which introduced a ban on single-use plastic items in 2021.
“We can take heart in the fact that many venues are already taking great strides in reducing single
use plastic. Many of the events I’ve attended recently have offered jugs of water or refill points
instead of bottled water. These are the best possible options as they reduce the use of materials –
be they recyclable or otherwise – in the first place.
“It’s good to see that the significant efforts being made in our sector are now being back up by
regulation. Now is the time for decisive action.”
