The Government wants to ban single-use knives, forks and plates, according to a new report. 

Environment Secretary George Eustice is planning a consultation regarding a ban on throwaway cutlery in England, the Sun newspaper reported. 

He will be hoping new rules help reduce the amount of plastic used each year in the UK which stands at around five million tons.

There’s already a ban on supplying plastic straws, stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds, which came into force last October. 

The Government will present its Environment Bill later this year, which will include policies that contain incentives for companies to use more recyclable materials. 

Other rules being introduced to reduce plastic use, include a tax on companies who do not have one-third recycled material in packaging from next spring.

Almost half of the plastic waste comes from packaging. 

A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) spokesperson said: ‘Our landmark Environment Bill will give ministers the power to introduce deposit return schemes for plastic drinks containers and make companies more responsible for the packaging they produce, incentivising them to use more recyclable materials and to meet higher recycling targets.

‘The Bill will also make it easier for ministers to place charges on single-use plastic items that threaten our ecosystems, and we are currently exploring options for which items to target next.’

Last month 21 campaign groups – including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, City to Sea and Keep Britain Tidy – challenged the Government on its commitments to ensuring UK environmental standards did not drop following Brexit. 

European Union member states are currently legislating to bring in a Brussels directive to ban the most polluting single-use plastics, including cutlery, plates and polystyrene food containers, but the UK Government has yet to follow suit in England.

In the open letter to environment minister Rebecca Pow, the groups wrote the “Government is not only failing to take the lead on tackling plastics but is falling behind our European neighbours and devolved nations within the UK”.

UK Government ministers regularly stated following the 2016 Brexit referendum that the country would uphold high environmental standards even after the split from the bloc, promising to be a world leader in green issues.

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