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U.K. to Seek Ban on Domestic Sale of Plastic Straws, Cotton Buds

U.K. to Seek Ban on Domestic Sale of Plastic Straws, Cotton Buds

(Bloomberg) -- The U.K. promises to ban the sale of single use plastic drinking straws and cotton buds later this year in a bid to clean up the world’s oceans.

Prime Minister Theresa May announced the plans ahead of a meeting of Commonwealth leaders in London, urging the former British colonies to follow suit.

Oceans are littered with more than 150 million tons of plastic, harming birds and sea mammals who can die from eating the fragments or getting tangled in larger pieces.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jessica Shankleman in London at jshankleman@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Flavia Krause-Jackson at fjackson@bloomberg.net, Robert Jameson

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