Plastic bags and straws to be banned on the Isle of Man in 2023

A range of common single-use plastics like straws and carrier bags will be banned on the Isle of Man next year.

Tynwald members voted unanimously to replace the sale and supply of 10 items with more sustainable alternatives.

Businesses have 12 months to make changes before regulations make it illegal to offer them.

It makes the island one of the first places in the British Isles to commit to reducing plastic use in this way, a government spokesman said.

Other items such as plastic cutlery, including chopsticks, plates, stirrers and polystyrene containers, will also be prohibited.

The majority of the items are listed under the European Plastic Directive, which which aims to ban the 10 most commonly found single-use plastic items on EU beaches.

Alongside fishing gear, they represent 70% of all European marine litter found, a government spokesman said

Member for the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) Michelle Haywood said it was "a great move for the island".

No sanctions would be imposed during first year, and after that DEFA would work with businesses to decide if they were trying to make changes before issuing fines, she added.

Some exemptions would be put in place for certain items, including the use of plastic bags for uncooked meat and fish, and plastic straws could still be requested for medical needs.

The ban would also apply to personal care products containing micro beads, balloon sticks and all products made from oxo-degradable plastic, which do not completely decompose.

The move came as politicians backed a plan to reduce the island's carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050, and meet interim targets of a 35% reduction by 2030 and 45% by 2035.

Those targets include decarbonising the island's electricity supply by 2030, and ban on fossil fuel heating in new buildings from 2024.

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