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Norfolk bio-products firm set to be hit by single-use plastics ban

Ian Barmer/BBC Solinatra products co-founder Simon GirdlestoneIan Barmer/BBC
Co-founder Simon Girdlestone says single-use products made by Solinatra will fall foul of the October ban - despite being plant-based

A company that makes biodegradable products says it may have to leave the UK because of an upcoming government ban on single-use plastics.

Solinatra, based near Norwich, makes compostable single-use alternatives - but they are included in the ban.

The firm received a £500,000 government grant last year.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) said "all bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics" would be banned.

The ban comes into force in October, spearheaded by Environment Secretary and Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey.

Solinatra said its products, such as coffee pods and cutlery, were made from plant-derived materials, rather than fossil fuel-derived materials.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is now calling for a review.

Ian Barmer/BBC Solinatra productsIan Barmer/BBC
The firm in Norwich makes biodegradable, compostable products as an alternative to single-use plastics

Simon Girdlestone, a co-founder of Solinatra, said the upcoming legislation "doesn't make sense".

"We were expecting a ban on single-use plastics - it's the whole reason we were developing Solinatra," he told the BBC.

"What we didn't expect is that we would be caught up and be banned along with fossil-based plastics.

"We've developed a solution that is clean, that is naturally biodegradable, and yet Defra has decided to group us along with the polluting plastics."

Ian Barmer/BBC Solinatra productsIan Barmer/BBC
The single-use items, including cutlery, are entirely plant-based and compostable

He said the company, which is based at Horsham St Faith, "had to go through a very long process" to win the £500,000 government funding - through Innovate UK - to develop the very materials that will be banned.

"The future for the company will probably be outside the UK," Mr Girdlestone added.

"It is a missed opportunity for Norfolk and for the UK, to create jobs and create an export market."

Ian Barmer/BBC FSB development manager Candy RichardsIan Barmer/BBC
Candy Richards, of the FSB, told the BBC the "clock was ticking" on getting the government to reconsider the detail of the ban

Candy Richards, development manager at the FSB, said the federation would call on the government to review the inclusion of biomaterials in the October law.

"Now the clock is ticking with this ban," she said.

"We are urging the government to engage with organisations like Solinatra so they understand that they are part of the solution, not part of the problem.

"The government needs to show its commitment to being at the forefront of sustainable and green technology."

Ian Barmer/BBC Solinatra productsIan Barmer/BBC
The products - although entirely compostable - are single-use, which are included in the upcoming ban

She said another FSB member - a company in Wales that produces similar products based on algae - was "offered large financial incentives" to relocate to Canada.

A spokesman for Defra said: "Urgent action is required to stop plastic waste finding its way into the natural environment.

"We have already banned many commonly littered single-use plastic items and are introducing a deposit return scheme for drinks containers, as well as extended producer responsibility for packaging."

The department said a consultation on the ban agreed it should cover "all bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics".

Ian Barmer/BBC Solinatra productsIan Barmer/BBC
Solinatra has won awards - and a hard-fought government grant of £500,000 to develop its range
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