Michael Gove hints at plastic straw ban

Michael Gove could follow the Scottish Government in announcing plans to ban plastic straws in an attempt to reduce environmental damage, the UK environment secretary has suggested. 

UK consumers currently get through around 8.5 billion single-use plastic straws every year - the highest number in Europe.

In the House of Commons alone, the number used by MPs has soared, doubling in just three years to 12,250.

According to new data the number bought for the Parliamentary estate has increased from 6,000 in 2014-15, despite concerns over growing levels of plastic waste.

Roseanna Cunningham announced plans to ban plastic straws earlier this month, following a similar move aimed at banning the sale and manufacture of plastic-stemmed cotton buds.

Gove then hinted the UK Government could follow suit, saying: “If it is bad, then banning it is a good thing.”

Chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy Allison Ogden-Newton said: “Plastic straws really do suck, often unnecessary in drinks and always out of place in our waterways and on our beaches where they often end up.

"Paper, bamboo and metal alternatives to plastic are freely available and Keep Britain Tidy urges people to swap their straw and never let any straw escape into the environment."