CONSULTATION is under way on the Scottish Government’s plans to ban 700 million single-use plastic items used each year in Scotland.

The Scottish Government is seeking views on the introduction of new legislation to restrict the sale or commercial supply of plastic plates, plastic straws, plastic cutlery, polystyrene food and drink containers, plastic balloon sticks and products made from oxo-degradable plastics.

Millions are used in Scotland each year, including an estimated 300m plastic straws, 276m pieces of plastic cutlery, 50m plastic plates and 66m polystyrene food containers.

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Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “There is no longer any doubt that plastic waste is having a hugely damaging impact on our oceans, rivers and land ecosystems.

“We must act now to reduce our reliance on single-use plastic and drive forward a move towards more sustainable, environmentally-friendly alternatives.

“Failure to do so is a dereliction of our duty to our children, who will inherit a natural world polluted by the plastics we have thrown away.”