Plastic stirrers, straws and cotton wool buds could be banned in England as early as next year

Billions of plastic stirrers, straws, cotton wool buds could be banned as early as next year, Theresa May will say today as part of a bid to rid the world of single use plastic.

The Prime Minister will use the announcement to call on all other Commonwealth countries to join in the fight against plastic pollution at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in London.

A consultation proposing a ban on single use plastic in England will be published by Environment Secretary Michael Gove later this year.

The ban – which will not include plastic straws required for medical reasons -  could be in place by next year, sources said.

Official figures show that Britons use 44 billion plastic stirrers and 42 billion plastic straws every year.

Mrs May's speech will today describe plastic waste as “one of the greatest environmental challenges facing the world”.

She will say: “The UK government is a world leader on this issue, and the British public have shown passion and energy embracing our plastic bag charge and microbead ban.

“Today we have put forward ambitious plans to further reduce plastic waste from straws, stirrers and cotton buds.”

Britain is likely to use its two-year chairmanship of the Commonwealth to drive forward its anti-plastic agenda, the aim to “rally Commonwealth countries to join us in the fight against marine plastics”.

The Prime Minister will say: “The Commonwealth is a unique organisation, with a huge diversity of wildlife, environments and coastlines.

“Together we can effect real change so that future generations can enjoy a natural environment that is healthier than we currently find it.”

Mr Gove first disclosed his plans to ban single use plastic straws in an interview with the Telegraph’s Chopper’s Brexit Podcast last month.

He has also supported the StirCrazy campaign which urges consumers to stop using plastic stirrers in their coffee.

Mr Gove will say: “Single-use plastics are a scourge on our seas and lethal to our precious environment and wildlife so it is vital we act now.

“We have already banned harmful microbeads and cut plastic bag use, and now we want to take action on straws, stirrers and cotton buds to help protect our marine life.

“We’ve already seen a number of retailers, bars and restaurants stepping up to the plate and cutting plastic use, however it’s only through government, businesses and the public working together that we will protect our environment for the next generation – we all have a role to play in turning the tide on plastic.”

There are over 150 million tonnes of plastic in the world’s oceans and every year one million birds and over 100,000 sea mammals die from eating and getting tangled in plastic waste.

Luke Douglas-Home, the founder of the StirCrazy campaign, said: “We use them for four seconds and then they last for centuries.

“It is great that Theresa May and Michael Gove are walking it like they are talking it. They are doing something about the worldwide problem of plastics in the environment.

“Now it is up to other countries to follow this lead in questioning all of our single use plastics.”

Last month the Government announced a deposit return scheme to increase recycling rates and slash the amount of waste polluting our land and seas.

Philip Hammond, the Chancellor of the Exchequer,  announced in the Spring Statement a call for evidence on using taxes to address single-use plastic waste.

Companies are already bringing in their own bans ahead of the Government action.

Deliveroo, the restaurant food delivery service, said it had saved tens of millions of pieces of plastic cutlery after customers were offered the option of not using it.