Single-use plastics bans and restrictions 

Banned items

Online and over-the-counter sales and supply of the following single-use plastic items are banned: 

• polystyrene food and drink containers 
• drinks stirrers 
• balloon sticks  
• cutlery 
• food and drink containers made of expanded and extruded polystyrene

Food and drink containers mean items used to contain food or drink that is ready to be consumed without further preparation. For example, takeaways.

There are no exemptions to the ban on these single-use plastic items.

Restricted items

Online and over-the-counter sales and supply of the following single-use plastic items have restrictions: 

• plates, bowls and trays  
• straws  
• cotton buds  

This includes: 

• all types of single-use plastic,plastic – including biodegradable, compostable and recycled plastic 
• items wholly or partly made from plastic,plastic – including items with a plastic coating or lining lining, plastic additives, and plastic as part of a material mix, such as using plastic to bond layers of non-plastic materials 

Exemptions for plates, bowls and trays 

Businesses can supply single-use plastic plates, bowls and trays if either of the following apply: 

• you are supplying them to another business 

• the items are packaging, pre-filled or filled at the point of sale 

Examples of this type of packaging include: 

• a pre-filled salad bowl or ready meal packaged in a tray tray
• a salad bowl filled by the customer in store 
• a plate filled at the counter of an establishment selling ready-to-consume food, such as a takeaway takeaway, bakery, canteen or public house
• a tray used to deliver food 

Exemptions for straws 

There are exemptions to the ban for some businesses. 

Registered pharmacies 

Registered pharmacies can supply single-use plastic straws, but must not: must: 

• not display straws to customers 
• not advertise single-use plastic straws to customers in store (pharmacies can advertise them online) online)
• only give straws to customers who request them 

Catering establishments 

Catering establishments can supply single-use plastic straws with food and drink for immediate consumption, but must: 

• keep straws where customers cannot see them or help themselves to them 
• only give straws to customers thatwho request them 
• not offer them to customers either verbally or in writing 

A catering establishment is any of these businesses that supply food or drink ready for consumption without further preparation: 

• restaurant 

• canteen 

• club 
• public house 
• similar establishment including a vehicle or a fixed or mobile stall 

Medical devices and uses 

You can supply single-use plastic straws for use as a medical device or for medical purposes, including: 

• preventative medicine 
• medical diagnosis 
• medical research 
• providing medical care and treatment 

Packaging 

Drink products or cartons with an attached plastic straw are banned.

You can supply single-use plastic straws that are used as packaging. For example, some medicines are dispensed through a straw. 

Care homes, prisons, schools and early years providers 

You can supply single-use plastic straws in: 

• care homes 
• premises used for early years provision 
• schools 
• prisons or other places of detention 

Exemptions for cotton buds 

There are some exemptions to the ban on supplying single-use plastic cotton buds. This is for medical or scientific reasons. 

Medical devices and purposes 

You can supply single-use plastic cotton buds for use as medical devices or for medical purposes including: 

• preventative medicine 
• medical diagnosis 
• medical research 
• providing medical care and treatment 

Forensic purposes 

You can supply single-use plastic cotton buds to forensic service providers. 

Scientific purposes 

You can supply single-use plastic cotton buds for scientific purposes, including diagnostic, educational or research purposes. 

Polystyrene containers containers for unprocessed or unprepared food

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Businesses

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Stirrers,

• refilled balloonat sticks,home cutleryover andan polystyreneextended foodlifespan
• reused containers 

by a business for many circuits or rotations

ThereYou arecannot relabel a single-use product as reusable if the product has had no exemptionschanges to theit. banAn onunchanged single-use plasticproduct drinkwould stirrers,still balloonbe sticksbanned cutleryunder andthese polystyreneregulations.

Alternatives foodto andsingle-use drinksplastic 

Reusable containers. 

alternatives

‘FoodBusinesses andcan drinksuse containers’reusable meansalternatives itemswhere usedappropriate. Consider toreusable containoptions foodsuch as ceramic, metal or drinkglass. thatReusable isitems readyare designed not to bedegrade consumedand withoutcan furtherbe preparationeasily (suchwashed asand takeaways).  reused. Examples include:

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Single-use caughtalternatives

If fish. reusable alternatives are not appropriate, businesses can supply and sell single-use items made from other materials, such as wood or paper. 

Enforcing the rules 

Local authorities will carry out inspections to make sure the rules are being followed. Inspectors can: 

• visit a shop or store 
• make test purchases 
• speak to staff 
• ask to see records 

If you break the law, you could be fined and ordered to cover the cost of the investigation. investigation.

If you’re aware of a business breaking the law, you can report them to Trading Standards. 

Appealing a fine 

You can appeal within 28 days of getting a fine if you think something is wrong. The letter with the fine will tell you what to do. 

If you can show that you did everything you could to avoid breaking any rules, your appeal wouldis belikely accepted. 

Alternatives to single-usebe plastic 

We encourage businesses to use reusable alternatives where appropriate.  accepted. 

However, if this is not appropriate, businesses can supply and sell single-use items made from other materials, such as wood or paper. 

Get help 

If you have any questions about what the new rules mean for your business, contact Plastics.Consultation@defra.gov.ukplastics.consultation@defra.gov.uk. 

Technical information:information

Definition expandedof plastic

Plastic is defined in The Environmental Protection (Plastic Plates etc. and Polystyrene Containers etc.) (England) Regulations 2023.

Expanded and extruded polystyrene 

Polystyrene is a polymer made from styrene monomers. Only polystyrene that has been through a foaming process is in the scope of this ban. Foaming is a method of expansion of the material at any point during its manufacture, by any means (such as heat from steam, expansion during cooling), using any blowing agent (such as butane, pentane, propane). 

Products made from polystyrene that has been expanded prior to fusion are expanded polystyrene (EPS) products. 

Products made from polystyrene that has first been extruded, then expanded, are extruded polystyrene (XPS) products. 

The following examples outline 2 manufacturing methods for EPS and XPS products. Other manufacturing processes for polystyrene products are also covered in the ban. 

Expansion (foaming) prior to fusion (EPS) 

Expandable polystyrene beads:

1. Beads impregnated with blowing agent. 
2. Beads heated in a steam chamber to allow for bead expansion (foaming). 
3. Expanded beads pumped into product mould. 
4. Mould is heated to fuse beads. 
5. Item released from mould. 

Extrusion prior to expansion (foaming) (XPS) 

Polystyrene nurdles:

1. Granules passed through an extruder to melt and for the addition of a blowing agent. 
2. Polystyrene passed out of an extruder, the reduced pressure and cooling allows for expansion (foaming). 
3. Polystyrene sheet formed into product shape. 
4. Polystyrene item cut from sheet, such as plastic carrier bags.