Environment Secretary Michael Gove has today confirmed a ban on plastic straws, drinks stirrers, and plastic stemmed cotton buds in England, following overwhelming public support for the move.

The ban will come into force in April 2020. It will include exemptions to ensure that those with medical needs or a disability are able to continue to access plastic straws.

Over 80 per cent of respondents to the Government's consultation backed a ban on the distribution and sale of plastic straws, 90 per cent a ban on drinks stirrers, and 89 per cent a ban on cotton buds.

There are instances where using plastic straws is necessary for medical reasons and the government will therefore ensure that those that need to use plastic straws for medical reasons can still access them.

Registered pharmacies will be allowed to sell plastic straws over the counter or online, but catering establishments such as restaurants, pubs and bars will not be able to display plastic straws or automatically hand them out. However, they will be able to provide them on request.

4.7 billion plastic straws, 316 million plastic stirrers and 1.8 billion plastic-stemmed cotton buds are used annually in England. An estimated ten per cent of cotton buds are flushed down toilets and can end up in waterways and oceans.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove 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."

It is estimated there are over 150 million tonnes of plastic in the world’s oceans and every year one million birds and over 100,000 sea mammals die from eating and getting tangled in plastic waste. A recent report estimates that plastic in the sea is set to treble by 2025.