How Many Countries Have Banned Plastic Items?

Byline: Katharina Buchholz

Plastic bans are a contentious issue. Most often, discussions about the use of plastic straws have drawn controversy, like in the case of U.S. state California, where a law requiring full-service restaurants to ask customers if they want to be served plastic straws has recently gone into effect. According to a report by the U.N., only 14 percent of countries in the world have banned or restricted single-use plastic items so far. Most often, the use of plates, cups, cutlery and stirrers has been restricted, followed by restrictions on plastic packaging and take-out packaging. Only two countries, Vanuatu and the Seychelles, have so far banned plastic straws outright.

The list of...