Closed petition Charge 5p for plastic straws

Closed on 24 July 2019

I believe if we were to introduce a charge for straws, as was done in 2015 for carrier bags, more people would refuse a straw in their drinks. This would drastically reduce the number of single use plastic straws entering our oceans and landfills, therefore positively affect the environment.

Since 5 October 2015, large retailers in England have been required by law to charge 5p for all single-use plastic carrier bags. This lead to 83% fewer bags being issued, which is equivalent to each person in the population using 25 plastic bags rather than 140 bags a year.
This shows how the 5p charge on carrier bags had a positive effect on consumer's behaviour. It is estimated that 8.5 billion straws are used in the UK every year. This means potentially 8.5 billion straws are entering our oceans and landfills each year. I believe if we were to introduce a charge for straws, more people would refuse a straw therefore drastically reducing this number and positively affecting the environment.