Plastic straws and stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds will today be banned in a major victory for the Mail’s Turn the Tide on Plastic campaign. An estimated 4.7billion plastic straws, 316million plastic stirrers and 1.8billion plastic-stemmed cotton buds are used in England every year. The Daily Mail has fought for 12 years against plastic waste, helping drive down plastic bag use and campaigning on microbeads. The ban will include an exemption to protect disabled people and those with medical conditions who require plastic straws. Cotton buds may be used for scientific purposes, which covers medical use, research and forensic criminal investigations.

Source: Daily Mail September 30, 2020 23:25 UTC