A new "plastics tax" has been introduced in the UK to end manufacturers making single-use plastic products made from petrochemicals, heralding a change in legislation.

UK companies that continue to produce single-use products such as plastic microbeads, plastic bags, plastic straws will face fines as part of a plan to stop using plastic altogether. British officials and regulators say a heavy tax on non-recyclable products is more effective than the current government's broad mandate to scrap plastic waste by 2042.

According to the British newspaper The Independent, the new plan attempts to curb the production of non-recyclable plastic products by making the cost of making non-recyclable plastic products "extremely high". At the same time, the UK will cut taxes and provide funding for producers of reusable plastics.

Commonwealth government officials are trying to increase taxes on the production of non-recyclable plastics and want companies to switch to green materials. According to a British MP, the move touches on what businesses care about – wallets, and will therefore speed up the transition process.

The report quoted an anonymous official. "There's a problem with a lot of low-quality plastic," he said. "These are single-use products, they're poor quality, and they can't be recycled. So the question is how to change so that people can use better quality, reusable plastic products. One important way is to make the manufacturing cost of non-renewable plastic products extremely high, so as to effectively avoid their production. That is, the cost is too high, and it is not worth using.”

"When producers know that consumers are paying attention to the issue, they think they have to move in a green and environmentally friendly direction," said a British government official. British ministers reportedly plan to formulate appropriate policies by December.