The government of England's recent announcement to ban single-use plastic plates, cutlery, and polystyrene cups by the end of 2023 has received mixed reactions from environmental groups. While some have welcomed the move as a step in the right direction, others have criticized it as insufficient in reducing unnecessary plastic use.

Megan Randles of Greenpeace UK said: "This is like reaching for a mop instead of turning off the tap. We need the government to deliver a meaningful plastic reduction strategy, which means bringing in plastic reduction targets and a proper reuse and refill scheme."

Allison Ogden-Newton, Chief Executive of charity Keep Britain Tidy, praised the ban as "definitely a step in the right direction," but emphasized the need for society to reduce all single-use items, which often end up in the trash or as litter after being used for just a few minutes. "As a society, we need to wean ourselves off all single-use items, which take huge amount of resources to produce only to end up either in the bin or littered on the ground after being used for just a few minutes," said Ogden-Newton.

According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, England produces and discards 1.1 billion single-use plates and 4.3 billion single-use items of cutlery each year. The government's ban aims to reduce this pollution and protect the environment for future generations.