Wales on the front foot in the move away from single-use plastics

Wales has started the transition to outlaw single-use plastic, amid an increase in littering as lockdown restrictions ease. It comes 3 months after DEFRA suspended an equivalent ban in England to October 2020.

Lorenzo Angelucci, CEO, Transcend Packaging, which is also the UK’s leading paper straw manufacturer, with clients including leading quick-service restaurants such as McDonald’s and KFC, has commented:

“This announcement puts Wales on the front foot in the move away from single-use plastics and we commend the Welsh government for taking meaningful action and hope this sets a strong precedent for action on other single-use items that can be made more sustainably with different materials and coatings."

“By starting with simple measures like straws and cotton buds, the ban will prove that change can happen and will spur investment in creating more, better replacements for other single use plastics in the future.”

“The ban won’t just benefit the environment, but opens up opportunities for innovative Welsh businesses to fill the gap left by plastic imports by creating sustainable, high quality alternatives.”

“With coronavirus slowing down the production and importing of all types of plastics and packaging from the Far East (and the carbon footprint this creates) more businesses will be looking for locally sourced products. One early lesson from this situation is that companies need to take proactive measures to create geographical diversification in their supply chains so they are not overly reliant on a single region or country.”

The company, which is based in Caerphilly, Wales, has gone from strength to strength since launching in 2018, even managing to double its value in June when it received £10M in additional investment to further its work in battling single-use plastics.