The government describes its new ban on some single-use plastic products as “the next big step” in reducing plastic pollution. But, BETHANY WALES asks, are small businesses paying the price?
Shops, takeaways and food vendors in England can no longer use single-use plastic items to package freshly prepared food, due to rules that came in last Sunday.
The ban includes products like plastic trays, bowls and cutlery – along with anything made from certain types of polystyrene.
READ MORE: 7 places to cut your plastic waste in Norwich
It is part of a government drive to cut down on plastic pollution.
Environment minister Rebecca Pow said that the move would stop “plastic pollution dirtying our streets and threatening our wildlife”.
But for many small businesses in Norfolk and Suffolk, the new rules are wreaking havoc.
'It's a nightmare'
The ban was announced in January 2023, but some business owners argue that it has not been publicised well and they have not had enough time to properly prepare.
Jane Farthing, who owns The Cafe on the Corner in Felixstowe, said she only learned about the new rules last week.
Now, she said, she will have to throw out an entire box of polystyrene cups bought over the summer.
She said: “I don’t understand why the government didn’t send letters out to businesses.
“The retailer, who we buy our packaging from didn’t say anything either and they even had a two-for-one sale on polystyrene items a few months ago.
“If we’d had more warning we could have done the transition more gradually, and wouldn’t have had to waste all that money on products we now can’t use.”
It’s a similar story for Sarah Burch, whose family owns Nicky’s Cafe and Diner, plus two other fish and chip shops in Great Yarmouth.
She said although they were aware a ban was coming, it’s been a struggle to use up all the now-banned products in time.
On top of this wastage, she said switching to plastic alternatives was set to more than double their packaging costs.
She said: “We want to help the environment, but it’s not cost-effective for us.
“The ban is literally taking money from the pockets of small businesses because the products we have to use now are so much more expensive.”
“They could have done a lot more to help small businesses transition.
“Ideally we want to see the government subsidising these products so we can afford them, or even a voucher scheme for businesses of a certain size to help them through this initial switch.”
And while Ms Burch said she was reluctant to put prices up for customers, with the vast majority of the cafe’s orders coming from takeaway apps like Just Eat and Deliveroo, she said it would be unavoidable.
She said: “It’s a nightmare for us really. With the price of everything going up this is a headache we could have done without.”
'It's confusing'
It’s not just food vendors who feel the ban is unfair.
Solinatra, a Norfolk firm that makes biodegradable plastic products, including cutlery and food containers, says it might have to leave the UK because of the new rules.
The business makes fully compostable plastic but has been forced to halt production because “bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics" are also covered by the ban.
Head of communications, Georgie Oatley, said that means some of their products are now prohibited in England, even though they fully break down within 45 days and contain no fossil fuel derived materials.
What’s more, she added that the government awarded the company a £500,000 grant last year to boost its work, leaving the firm confused by where it stands.
She said: “On the one hand the government is funding us and helping us to do this project and be innovative and then on the other hand they’re saying the stuff that you develop using the money we’ve given you - you’re not allowed to make anything with it.
“It’s very confusing, it doesn’t make sense.”
Despite business owners having reservations, the government said that the response from the public has been overwhelmingly positive with 95pc in favour of the ban.
Ms Burch, however, said time will tell whether it ends up being sustainable.
She added: "At the end of the day we know we have to get on with it.
"I just hope they see small businesses are trying to do the right thing and find a way to make it a little easier on them."
What does the ban mean?
Shops and hospitality businesses will no longer be able to supply plastic cutlery, balloon sticks and polystyrene cups under the new rules.
The ban will be enforced by local trading standards officials, which fall under local council jurisdiction, with those who fail to comply face a fine of £200.
And while millions of businesses will be affected, there are some exceptions.
Takeaways and other businesses that sell pre-packaged food will be able to continue using single-use plastic.
Instead, these products are set to be included in the Government’s plans for an extended producer responsibility scheme (EPR), which will incentivise producers to use less packaging and meet higher recycling targets.
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