Single-use plastics such as plates, cutlery and polystyrene cups could be banned in England as ministers launch a public consultation on the issue.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland already have plans to ban single-use plastic cutlery, and the European Union brought in a similar ban in July - putting ministers in England under pressure to take similar action.

On average, each person in England uses 18 single-use plastic plates and 37 single-use plastic items of cutlery every year, according to government figures. Environment Secretary George Eustice said it was "time we left our throwaway culture behind once and for all". Separately, wet wipes, tobacco filters and sachets will be also examined. About 1.1 billion single-use plates and 4.25 billion items of cutlery - mostly plastic - are used annually, but just 10% are recycled upon disposal. Scotland has already announced a ban from June 2022 on the use of plastic cutlery, drink stirrers and food containers made from expanded polystyrene. England's public consultation will last 12 weeks. Under the proposals for England, businesses and consumers would need to move towards more sustainable alternatives.