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It's now even easier to choose your exercise books
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Shop the YPO range and find what you need for less
Switch and save with our YPO range, with hundreds of products to choose from.
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Shop the cosy collection at YPO
We're excited to be working in partnership with Cosy, a renowned supplier of high quality and imaginative products. Shop the full collection!
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  • Cart with cleaning supplies Facilities Management

    Essential services to help keep your school running smoothly.

  • Students receiving food Food and Catering

    Everything you need for your school meals and catering requirements.

  • Students in class Furniture

    Helping you create inspiring spaces.

  • Students using a computer ICT

    Technology and communications to help you stay connected and current.

  • Person using a laptop Professional Services

    Supporting your people and professional services.

  • Bus Driver Transport

    Help get your students from A to B.

  • Technician fixing light fixture Utilities

    Review your energy contracts to help save money.

It's now even easier to choose your exercise books
Find your exercise books in no time with our new exercise book selector. Pick your size, ruling, colour, and number of pages, then simply add to basket!
Shop now
Always in stock essentials
Explore our large range of always available products and get what you need, when you need it.
Shop now
Making life easier for MATs across the country
Explore the benefits YPO can provide to Academies and Multi Academy Trusts across the country.
Find out more
Shop the YPO range and find what you need for less
Switch and save with our YPO range, with hundreds of products to choose from.
Shop now
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Simplify your food waste management
YPO's food waste management frameworks have been created to support local authorities on their journey of food waste separation to reduce landfill emissions. Find out more here.
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  • Construction worker Buildings and Construction

    Our expert team can help with building, construction, repairs and alterations. Browse our frameworks.

  • Meeting Corporate and Financial Services

    Help to increase efficiencies and provide better support to your people.

  • Energy frameworks YPO Energy

    Find ways to reduce your energy consumption with our energy team.

  • Cleaning equipment Facilities and Waste Management

    Providing safe and cost effective working environments.

  • Fleet of white vans Fleet

    Whether you're looking for fleet hire or purchase, speak to our specialist team.

  • food and catering worker cooking Food and Catering

    Ordering food and catering couldn't be simpler with our UK Food Deal.

  • food and catering worker cooking Furniture

    Create environments that are tailored to your unique needs.

  • fleet and highways worker Highways

    Providing specialist industry knowledge to help meet your needs.

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    We can help you source cost-effective solutions with a range of frameworks.

What is the single-use plastic ban?

From October 2023, a ban on a range of single-use plastics will come into force in England, as announced by the government. As we all know, plastic consumption is a growing issue globally, and measures need to be put in place to tackle it. The hope is that the ban will reduce the amount of plastic that is sent to landfill, with the government noting that England uses 2.7 billion items of single-use cutlery every year, with only around 10% being recycled. The ban is a step in the right direction, with a government-conducted survey finding that over 95% of respondents were in favour of the bans.

What does it include?

When does it come into action?

The ban on specific single-use plastics will come into force from October 2023, giving businesses enough time to prepare and source alternatives. From October 2023, customers will not be able to purchase single-use banned products from any businesses.

What alternatives are available?

At YPO, we stock a large range of plastic catering alternatives, to make the switch easy. Explore our range of products below to find ideal alternatives to single-use plastic products. Our products are perfect for a range of catering needs, including schools, colleges, commercial kitchens and more.

Cutlery:

Paper straws:

Paper plates:

Cups:

Food containers:

Stirrers:

Why is this new ban important?

The new ban means that fewer single-use plastic catering products will be used and produced, meaning that less plastic is put into landfill. Plastic pollution can take hundreds of years to decompose, so it’s important that we’re making a conscious effort to reduce the amount we produce. As the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs found, each year, England uses around 2.7 billion items of single-use cutlery, with most being plastic. Considering that most of these single-use items end up in landfill every year, it’s crucial that we begin to reduce this number. The new ban is a great step in the right direction.

 

At YPO, we’re on a journey to be more sustainable – so we hope you found our list of plastic-free alternatives useful. To find our full range of alternatives to single-use plastic catering products, click here.
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The YPO Team

YPO supplies products and services to a wide range of customers including schools, local authorities, charities, emergency services, public sector and other businesses such as nurseries and care homes. YPO are 100% publicly owned, by 13 local authorities, which means the profits made are returned to public sector customers, delivering even better value for money.