G/TBT/N/GBR/34  
14 January 2020  
(20-0379) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED KINGDOM   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):  England  
2. Agency responsible:   
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs  
Environmental Quality Directorate  
Seacole Building, 2 Marsham St, Westminster  
London SW1P 4DF  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority desig nated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
UK TBT Enquiry Point  
Trade Policy Group  
Department for International Trade  
3 Whitehall Place  
London  
SW1A 2AW  
TBTEnquiriesUK@trade.gov.uk  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other : Technical 
Regulation - Local Government (Article 3.2)  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Tableware, 
kitchenware, other household articles and toilet articles, of plastics (HS 3924)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  The 
Environmental Protecti on (Plastic Straws, Cotton Buds and Stirrers) (England) 
Regulations 2020  
6. Description of content:  The draft regulations prohibit the supply of plastic straws, 
plastic drink stirrers and plastic -stemmed cotton buds in the course of a business.  
In the dra ft regulations:  
- "plastic" means a material consisting of polymer as defined in Article 3(5) of 
Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, to which additives or other substances may have been 
added, and which can function as a main structural component of final produc ts, with the 
exception of natural polymers that have not been chemically modified;  
- "single use plastic straw" means a straw that is made wholly or partly from plastic 
and that is not designed or intended to be re -used;  
- "plastic drink stirrer" means an implement made partly or wholly of plastic designed 
and intended for stirring drinks;  G/TBT/N/GBR/34  
 
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  - "single use plastic stemmed cotton bud" means an item that consists of a rod made 
wholly or partly of plastic with cotton wrapped around one or both ends and that is no t 
designed or intended to be re -used;  
- "attached plastic straw" means a single use plastic straw which is attached to the 
packaging of a drink product and is intended to be used to consume that drink.  
The prohibitions on the supply of single use plastic straws other than attached plastic 
straws, and on the supply of single use plastic stemmed cotton buds, apply only to the 
supply of those products to an end user, and are subject to certain exemptions.   The 
prohibitions on the supply of attached pl astic straws and plastic drink stirrers apply to all 
supplies of those products made in the course of a business.  
Exemptions for the supply of plastic straws:  
- Supply through registered pharmacies;  
- Supply with food or drink for immediate consumption, pr ovided the straws are kept 
in a place where they are not visible to customers and they are only provided on demand;  
- Straws used for medical devices and purposes;  
- Straws used for packaging;  
- Straws supplied in care homes, premises for early years' prov ision, schools and 
prisons.  
Exemptions for the supply of cotton buds:  
- Cotton buds used for medical devices and purposes;  
- Cotton buds used for forensic and scientific purposes.  
Breach of these prohibitions is an offence.   The draft regulations also conf er powers on 
enforcement authorities to impose civil sanctions, including monetary penalties and stop 
notices, as an alternative to criminal prosecution.  
The draft regulations apply to England only.  
The prohibition is proposed to be implemented in April 20 20. The prohibition on attached 
plastic straws is proposed for July 2021.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  We are proposing to introduce regulations to prohibit the supply of certain 
plastic items to the end user on the grounds that they cause harm to the environment. 
These items include plastic straws, plastic drink stirrers and plastic -stemmed cotton buds. 
The impact assessments submitted with the public consultation on this policy proposal 
estimated that in England, 4.7 billion plastic straws, 316 million plastic stirrers and 1.8 
billion plastic -stemmed cotton buds are used annually. Plastic drinking straws,  drink 
stirrers and cotton buds are not commonly recycled or re -used, causing multiple 
environmental harms particularly when they are discarded incorrectly, including harm to 
marine animals and visual pollution. Even if disposed of correctly, these plastic  items may 
end up in incineration which generates carbon emissions. These are negative externalities 
as they are experienced across society and are not accounted for within the market price 
of plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds. Providers of these it ems do not have incentives 
to cover the externality costs. Intervention is required in order to shift the market to the 
plastic -free alternatives that already exist and decompose much more quickly. Plastic 
straws, stirrers and cotton buds are also included  within the European Union's Single -Use 
Plastics (SUP) Directive, which sets out measures to prevent and reduce the  impact of 
certain products on the environment. This includes measures to prohibit the placing on 
the market of single -use plastic straws, dr ink stirrers and cotton buds from July 2021.; 
Protection of the environment  
8. Relevant documents:   
The Environmental Protection (Plastic Straws, Cotton Buds and Stirrers) (England) 
Regulations 2020  G/TBT/N/GBR/34  
 
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  9. Proposed date of adoption:  Proposed signing of regul ations by minister: March 2020  
Proposed date of entry into force:  April 2020 - July 2021 for attached straws  
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs  
Environmental Quality Directorate  
Resources, Waste and Plastic Strategy Team  
Seacole Building, 2 Marsham St, Westminster  
London SW1P 4DF  
Email: Plastics.Consultation@defra.gov.uk