Every year in England we use 4.7 billion plastic straws, 316 million plastic stirrers and 1.8 billion plastic-stemmed cotton buds.</P><P>The ban on supplying plastic straws and stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds has come into force in England 1 October 2020, marking yet another major step in the Government’s fight against single-use plastic waste to protect our environment and clean up our oceans.</P><P>You might have noticed when you enter our stores, we have been using <STRONG>biodegradable straws made from corn starch</STRONG>.</P><P>What does biodegradable mean? According to Columbia Climate School, biodegradable plastic can be broken down completely into water, carbon dioxide and compost by microorganisms under the right conditions. The decomposition happens in weeks to months.</P><P>Our straw made from corn starch is biodegradable and carbon neutral.</P><P>“It is our responsibility to be stewards of the Earth. To protect the place that we find a home, not only for our resources for survival but also for the enjoyment and the prospect of having future generations enjoy it,”</P><P>Credit: Marine Conservation Society. / BBC