Regulatory restrictions on single-use plastics to be examined

The UK Office for the Internal Market (OIM) is launching the review.

It wants to hear from a wide range of stakeholders, including SMEs and others in the supply chain about their experience of dealing with regulatory changes in relation to single-use plastics.

Since 2011, measures have been brought into force across all parts of the UK to tackle the issue of single-use plastic waste, including plastic bags, cutlery, straws and food and drink containers.

Scotland, England and Wales have implemented bans on certain products, while Northern Ireland has a plan for future restrictions.

Restrictions introduced to date have been introduced at different times but have been similar in substance.

The new review will build on the work of the OIM’s latest annual report, which found that supermarkets have tended to adopt a UK-wide approach when using single-use plastic items like cutlery, plates and bowls – meaning they adapt to the regulatory environment by using items that meet trading rules in all parts of the UK, or at least all parts they trade in, rather than using different products in each nation.

The OIM particularly wants views on how businesses have responded to the changes, and the extent to which differences in the timing or substance of regulations have impacted policymaking and innovation across the UK.   

The short online survey can be found on the OIM single-use plastics project page. This will run until 16 September 2024, although earlier responses are encouraged to help the review get underway.

Businesses and other interested stakeholders can also share views by emailing [email protected].