UK to become first country to ban plastic straws

The United Kingdom will implement a ban on plastic straws as soon as next year, becoming the first country to impose such a measure.

U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May announced the move Wednesday as part of a previously announced plan to get rid of all plastic waste by 2042, BuzzFeed News reported. The ban would also include stirrers and cotton swabs.

She also said that she plans to push Commonwealth nations, the 53 countries largely made up of former British colonies, to take up similar bans.

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“Plastic waste is one of the greatest environmental challenges facing the world, which is why protecting the marine environment is central to our agenda at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting,” May said in the statement announcing the ban.

The U.K. has already banned microbeads and placed fees on the use of plastic bags.

Bans on plastic straws to try and cut down on waste are growing in popularity, with some U.S. cities implementing the measures. Seattle and Malibu, Calif., are among those that have banned the straws.