Written question asked by Caroline Dinenage (Conservative) on Thursday, 26 June 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 30 June 2025. It was answered by Mary Creagh (Labour) on Friday, 4 July 2025 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Plastics: Chewing Gum

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the recommendations of the Just one ocean policy brief entitled, Plastic chewing gum: a hidden microplastic health hazard and plastic polluter, published on 19 June 2025.

Answer: No assessment has been made of the potential implications for policies of the recommendations made in the Just one ocean policy brief entitled, Plastic chewing gum: a hidden microplastic health hazard and plastic polluter. The Government is currently considering further actions that can be taken to address the challenges associated with single-use plastic products. We will continue to review the latest evidence on problematic products and/or materials to take a systematic approach, to reduce the use of unnecessary or harmful single-use plastic products.

Secondary information