These Regulations were made to restrict the supply of single-use plastic straws, single-use plastic-stemmed cotton buds, and plastic drink stirrers in the UK, in order to prevent pollution of the environment or harm to the health of humans and animals.
Single-use plastics, including plastic-stemmed cotton buds, plastic drinking straws and plastic drinks stirrers, can have negative effects on the environment if they are littered or discarded incorrectly after their use. Not only do they damage terrestrial and marine life, there are costs associated with their clean-up and externality costs imposed on the tourism and fishing industries when they are disposed of incorrectly.
