Plastic straws, drinks stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds will be banned in the UK from next April.
Environment secretary Michael Gove confirmed the move after the proposal received overwhelming public support.
The ban will include exemptions for people with medical conditions or a disability, who need to use plastic straws.
Registered pharmacies will be allowed to sell plastic straws over the counter or online.
Catering establishments such as restaurants, pubs and bars will not be able to display plastic straws or automatically hand them out, but they will be able to provide them on request.
The consultation published on May 22 reveals more than 80 per cent of respondents back a ban on the distribution and sale of plastic straws, while 90 per cent support a ban on drinks stirrers, and 89 per cent on cotton buds.
The government will carry out a stocktake after one year to assess the impact of the measures and whether the balance is correct.
In England, it is estimated that 4.7 billion plastic straws, 316 million plastic stirrers and 1.8 billion plastic-stemmed cotton buds are used every year.
An estimated 10 per cent of cotton buds are flushed down toilets and can end up in waterways and oceans.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: “These items are often used for just a few minutes but take hundreds of years to break down, ending up in our seas and oceans and harming precious marine life.”
It is estimated there are more than 150 million tonnes of plastic in the world’s oceans, and every year one million birds and more than 100,000 sea mammals die from eating or getting tangled in plastic waste. A recent report estimates that plastic in the sea is set to treble by 2025.
Hugo Tagholm, chief executive of Surfers Against Sewage said: “Stopping the production and distribution of these single-use plastic menaces will prevent them from polluting beaches nationwide.
“It’s a really positive and bold step in the right direction in the battle against plastic pollution.
“It is also helps further drive plastic-free options and alternatives for the public so they can truly make more sustainable choices in their daily lives.”
