AKIPRESS.COM - Plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds will be banned in England from April 2020 as part of plans designed to drastically reduce plastic waste, BBC reports. 

The UK government confirmed the ban Wednesday after an open consultation with the public, according to a statement from environment officials.

Officials estimate that 4.7 billion plastic straws, 316 million plastic stirrers and 1.8 billion plastic-stemmed cotton buds are used in England each year, with 10% of cotton buds disposed of down the toilet.

"Urgent and decisive action is needed to tackle plastic pollution and protect our environment," said Environment Secretary Michael Gove.

"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."

The ban will include exemptions for those who require plastic straws due to medical needs or disabilities, with registered pharmacies allowed to sell them and restaurants, pubs and bars keeping a stock they will be able to provide to customers on request.

It is hoped the measures will be able to reduce plastic pollution in the oceans, which kills more than 100,000 sea mammals and one million birds each year.

There are 150 million metric tons of plastic in our oceans, and that figure will treble by 2025, according to the statement.