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Plastic Cotton Buds Are Now Banned In This Part Of The UK

Photo: Getty Images
Scotland has become the first part of the UK to ban plastic-stemmed cotton buds.
Catherine Gemmell of The Marine Conservation Society hailed the ban, which comes into force today, as a "fantastic win for our seas and wildlife". She said the charity's volunteers have collected 150,000 plastic cotton bud sticks from Scottish beaches over the last 25 years.
In a statement, the Scottish government said the plastic cotton bud ban is "the latest step being taken to reduce reliance on single-use products". Scotland's Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham added: "We are facing a global climate emergency and must all work together to reduce, reuse and recycle to ensure a sustainable future for the current and next generation."
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Plastic cotton buds are to be banned in England from April 2020 – along with plastic stirrers and plastic straws.
When he announced the move in May, Michael Gove, then the UK's Environment Secretary, said: "Urgent and decisive action is needed to tackle plastic pollution and protect our environment. These items are often used for just a few minutes but take hundreds of years to break down, ending up in our seas and oceans and harming precious marine life."
Though a variety of eco-friendly straws are now available, it's been estimated that plastic straws still account for 95% of those used in the UK.
The Welsh government said in May that it was considering implementing a similar ban on plastic cotton buds, straws and stirrers.
Meanwhile, the world's largest concert promoter, Live Nation, has vowed to eliminate single-use plastics from its venues and festivals by 2021.
Glastonbury, which is not a Live Nation festival, has also pledged to eliminate single-use plastics as part of its typically innovative response to the plastic problem. And more than 60 other independent music festivals in the UK have also committed to eliminating single-use plastic by 2021.
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