Plastic straws could soon be banned in Britain, the Environment Secretary Michael Gove has suggested.
It is estimated the UK uses 8.5 billion straws a year, according to the Marine Conservation Society, and plastic straws are one of the top 10 items found in beach clean-ups.
When asked whether he might outlaw plastic straws after Britain leaves the EU, Michael Gove told a podcast interview with the Daily Telegraph: “Watch this space.”
Recently, high-profile nature documentary Blue Planet II has highlighted the damage plastic pollution is doing to the world’s oceans and their wildlife.
The BBC One show helped drive awareness of the issue of marine plastic pollution, with companies, organisations and politicians increasingly taking action to tackle the problem.
Firms found locally, including the likes of JD Wetherspoon, Wagamama, Costa Coffee, Pizza Express and Waitrose have all started phasing out plastic straws or offering them on request only.
