Campaigners have welcomed the announcement that the UK is set to ban the sale of plastic straws, drinks stirrers and cotton buds, while calling for more action to deal with all forms of “problem plastic”.

Environment secretary Michael Gove has highlighted the urgency of tackling single-use items with the potential to pollute waterways and oceans.

But after implementing these measures, environmental groups have urged government and businesses to go beyond tackling these “low hanging fruit”.

Specifically, they have emphasised the need for a radical re-think on plastic packaging.

“If you look at what the UK has done as a package of measures, we are very much at the forefront and showing global leadership,” WWF spokesperson Nicole Itano told The Independent.

“But I think the next stage – and this is slightly unchartered territory – is how do we then start to tackle the harder things like packaging. We would like to see the UK go even further, and we think ultimately we should be moving towards a ban on all single-use plastic by 2025.”

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Such a ban would not mean no plastic would be used whatsoever, but all plastics would be part of a circular economy in which everything is recycled.

A similar call is coming from Greenpeace, which is pushing for a ban on non-recyclable “problem plastic” in all its forms “at the earliest opportunity”.

“What we are calling for is basically a dramatic reduction in the overall use of single-use plastic, and within that there are some relatively low hanging fruit items like stirrers and straws,” Louise Edge, senior oceans campaigner at Greenpeace UK, told The Independent. “We would be looking at extending that list of unnecessary items.

Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Show all 6 1 /6 Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Plastic water bottle for a reusable beverage container Instead of continually buying drinks in plastic bottles you can switch to a reusable beverage container and reduce your single-use of plastics. Selfridges' Bobble 550ml filtered water bottle costs £12.95 and includes a replaceable carbon filter that filters water as you drink, removing chlorine and organic contaminants in the process. You can buy it from selfridges.com Getty/Selfridges Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Coffee cup for a Travel coffee mug It is estimated that the UK throws away around 2.5bn disposable coffee cups a year and almost all are incinerated, exported or sent to landfill because their plastic lining makes them expensive to recycle. The new Latte Levy in the UK means there will now be a 25p charge on every disposable coffee cup bought by consumers. Pret A Manger announced that it will double its discount to 50p in an effort to reduce waste. By swapping to a reusable cup you will be able to help cut the cost of disposable coffee cups. This Keep Cup Brew, cork edition, travel cup in Fika is just one of the many available to purchase. It fits under most commercial coffee machines, is splash-proof and ideal for transporting your coffee whilst on the go. You can buy this particular cup for £19.99 from trouva.com. Getty/Trouva Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Plastic bags for reusable cloth bags An eco-friendly alternative to an ordinary plastic bag is this lightweight shopping bag. It comes with a practical pillowcase pocket and features a black and white ink splatter design. Convenient and durable it also has a matte black spring clip to attach it where you need it. You can buy this from paperchase.co.uk for just £5.00. Getty/Paperchase Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Coffee pods for a pot of coffee Cut your plastic coffee pod usage with a cafetiere. This Barista and Co, 3 Cup Gold Cafetiere, from Habitat offers a simple way to brew and serve in style. Made from borosilicate glass and plated stainless steel with an ergonomically designed handle, the cafetiere is built to last and a pleasure to use; a fine metal filter produces a smooth coffee that retains its natural oils. You can buy it for £30 from habitat.co.uk. Getty/Habitat Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Balloons for eco-friendly decorations Instead of using plastic balloons at your party try swapping them for some eco-friendly bunting. Handmade in Scotland, the bunting comprises thirteen brightly coloured pennants which spell out the words 'Happy Birthday', and uses lettering that has been printed onto 100 per cent recycled card. Included is 11ft of natural jute twine to hang the pennants on, and everything comes packaged in a cello bag. You can buy this bunting from Little Silverleaf on notonthehighstreet.com for £12.50. Getty/notonthehighstreet Ways to reduce your single-use plastic Plastic straw for a reusable bamboo one Swap plastic straws for reusable ones made of bamboo. These straws are handmade in Bali and crafted by local balinese artisans. Made of organic and natural materials they are the best eco-friendly alternative to plastic, steel or glass straws. You can purchase them from Bali Boo on Amazon.co.uk for £13.99. PA/Bali Boo/Amazon

Besides targeting specific plastic items like straws for outright bans, Greenpeace is calling for the elimination of all non-recyclable plastic within the next year.

As it stands, many items of plastic packaging are either non-recyclable, or marked as recyclable despite the lack of infrastructure in place to deal with them properly. Items made of PVC or polystyrene are particularly problematic.

Examples of unrecyclable products that frequently appear in supermarket trollies, according to Ms Edge, include yoghurt pots, ready-meal trays and salad bags.

Environmental groups have emphasised the need for legislation to be accompanied by a search for materials that can be used to replace non-recyclable plastics.

The government has recently committed to funding research and innovation in this area, with over £60m set aside to deal with plastic waste.

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Of this, £16m will be spent specifically on improving waste management.

The announcement of the intended ban, which will be subject to a consultation starting later this year, came at the start of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, emphasising the global nature of the fight against plastic.

“The reality is that if we want to solve this problem we have top solve it on a global scale,” said Ms Itano.