THROWAWAY plastic plates, cutlery and polystyrene cups could be banned under government plans to ramp up the war on plastic pollution.

The government is launching a public consultation on the proposal in autumn amid attempts to crack down harder on plastic waste and litter.

It’s hardly anything to slap the Tories on the back about. Two years ago the EU pledged to ban such items under the Single-Use Plastics Directive, which came into force in July.

A range of everyday items made from single-use plastic such as cutlery, plates, and straws have been banned from the shelves of member states. Many other items, such as sticks for cotton buds, plastic bags and wet wipes, cannot be sold where sustainable alternatives are easily available and affordable.

Let’s hope we don’t follow suit with something as wishy-washy and ineffectual as our laws on littering. Anyone driving along our dual carriageways could be forgiven for thinking we actually encourage people to chuck their take-away trays into the hedgeback.

Any ban on the use of plastic is, of course, a step in the right direction, but why doesn’t the government take a harsher approach to use of plastic, particularly in areas where it can cause serious harm.

Why do we still allow helium-filled balloon releases? Because of the threat posed to wildlife by balloons, releases have been banned by over 20 local authorities in the UK but not nationally.

Official guidance states that only a ‘small release’ of up to 1000 balloons should be attempted without professional help. Releasing more than 5,000 balloons requires a written application to the Civil Aviation Authority, because balloons can interfere with air traffic.

These numbers are staggering. One balloon is too many in my opinion. They have all have got to land somewhere. Every balloon is a piece of hazardous waste and releases should be banned outright. You don’t need to let off balloons to celebrate any occasion - throw a party and bake a cake instead.

Chinese lanterns should also be outlawed. Some local authorities, including Bradford and North Yorkshire County Council have already banned them on their land, to reduce the risk of fires and harm to farm animals and wildlife.

When they pose such a risk, why no blanket ban?

We use plastic when we really don’t need to. I’ve noticed that barriers around roadworks are now joined together with cable ties, which are ineffectual as well as being hazardous. After recent utility work in my street I collected more than 80 discarded ties, many cut, others intact. As well as being swept into our drains, they are a danger to children.

Why do we need plastic forks to eat our fish and chips? When I was young the only ones available were those little two-pronged wooden ones, and they served their purpose well. More take-aways are now using wooden cutlery - which is far more robust than plastic - but nowhere near enough.

We, the public, can help too, in the fight against single-use plastic. I’ve never understood why people need to race around clutching hot drinks in disposable cups (even paper ones contain microplastics in the lining). When I was young we managed to survive until we got to work or home, where we could put the kettle on. If people must have a hot drink as an accessory, then buy a reusable cup.

There are often alternatives, if you look: I recently bought a box (cardboard) of cotton buds made from bamboo. Not a shred of plastic in sight.