On average, every one of us in England uses 18 single-use plastic plates and 37 items of plastic cutlery every year, which adds up to 1.1bn single-use plates and more than 4bn pieces of plastic cutlery, according to the Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra).
England has already banned plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds and now plans to extend the ban to cutlery where alternative materials, like wood can be used.
According to BBC News, Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said: "I am determined to drive forward action to tackle this issue head on. We've already taken major steps in recent years - but we know there is more to do, and we have again listened to the public's calls. This new ban will have a huge impact to stop the pollution of billions of pieces of plastics and help to protect the natural environment for future generations."