The UK’s Environment Secretary Michael Gove has suggested that plastic straws could be banned across the board in Britain.
When asked if he would prohibit plastic straws the minister simply replied; “watch this space”.
He also said that he was looking at the legal basis for a ban on the straws, which he described as ‘lethal’ to marine life. He added that a balanced approach would be needed but said: “If it is bad, then banning it is a good thing.”
“Plastic straws are a scourge,” he said. “They’re just one example of the ways in which we pollute the oceans and damage marine wildlife. I want to do everything we can to restrict the use of plastic straws and we’re exploring at the moment if we can ban them.”
The announcement came as figures revealed the Houses of Parliament alone used more than 12,000 plastic straws last year – more than twice as many as three years ago.
In January the Prime Minister Theresa May said she wanted to eliminate all avoidable plastic within 25 years.
According to the campaign group, Refuse The Straw, plastic straws take over 200 years to break down, while The Marine Conservation Society estimates the UK uses 8.5 billion straws every year. They are among the top 10 items found in beach clean-ups.
A number of restaurants and pub chains including JD Wetherspoon, Wagamama and Pizza Express have already announced that plastic straws will be phased out entirely or only made available on request.
