Theresa May vows to ban sale of plastic straws by the end of the year

Theresa May says she wants to ban the sale of plastic straws before the end of the year.

Addressing head of Commonwealth states, the prime minister confirmed that selling cotton buds and drink stirrers would also be outlawed.

And she urged her fellow leaders to join in her fight to tackle plastic waste.

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She said said plastic waste was “one of the greatest environmental challenges facing the world”.

Addressing the summit at Buckingham Palace, she said: “In the Commonwealth, we have an incredible opportunity.

“An opportunity to show just what can be achieved through coordinated action and co-operation, to seize the possibilities open to us as member countries, and together, to take on some of the 21st century’s biggest questions.”

Environment secretary Michael Gove earlier told the BBC Radio 4 Today show: “We are perfectly clear that we are going to ban these plastic items.

“The purpose of this consultation is to make sure that when we do bring in that ban – and we want to bring it in at pace – that we have it properly.”

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There are around 8.5 billion plastic straws thrown away each year, contributing to at least 150 million tons of plastic in the oceans.

A deposit return scheme for single-use bottles is also going to be introduced in England, subject to consultation.

Big businesses are seemingly buying into public pressure by acting on waste. On Wednesday, coffee chain Costa pledged to become “cup neutral” by 2020, recycling as many disposable cups as it sells – adding up to around 500m cups a year.

And others such as supermarket chains Iceland and Waitrose have also acted, introducing plastic-free products and banning throwaway cups from in-store cafes.