Guidance

Single-use plastics bans and restrictions 

You must not supply certain single-use plastic items in England, except for some exemptions.

Applies to England

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 

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, including biodegradable, compostable and recycled plastic 
  • items wholly or partly made from plastic, including coating or lining 

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 
  • a plate filled at the counter of a takeaway 
  • 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: 

  • display straws to customers 
  • advertise single-use plastic straws to customers in store (pharmacies can advertise them online) 

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 that 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 

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 

You cannot supply single-use polystyrene food and drinks containers for food and drink that is ready to be consumed, such as takeaways. 

Businesses can continue to supply polystyrene food and drinks containers used to transport unprocessed or unprepared food through the supply chain. For example, polystyrene boxes used by fishers to store and transport freshly caught fish. 

Stirrers, balloon sticks, cutlery and polystyrene food containers 

There are no exemptions to the ban on single-use plastic drink stirrers, balloon sticks cutlery and polystyrene food and drinks containers. 

‘Food and drinks containers’ means items used to contain food or drink that is ready to be consumed without further preparation (such as takeaways).  

Polystyrene boxes used to transport unprocessed or unprepared food through the supply chain are not banned. For example, polystyrene boxes used by fishers to store and transport freshly caught fish. 

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. 

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 would be accepted. 

Alternatives to single-use plastic 

We encourage businesses to use reusable alternatives where appropriate.  

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.uk

Technical information: 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.
Published 22 January 2024