Takeaways and kebab houses across Southampton have made changes to their business to cut out single use plastic.

All eateries in England are now legally required to swap plastic bags, packages and cutlery for eco-friendly alternatives.

The ban on single use plastic, which came into force on Sunday, was announced in January and extends to takeaways, retailers, street food vendors and hospitality firms.

Many businesses in Southampton have had to change their packaging suppliers to accommodate the change.

Michael Castle, 49, owner of The Phat Chip Co. on Lodge Road said: “I found out about the ban through chance as I was looking through social media – without me seeing it online I would not have known about it.

Daily Echo: The Phat Chip on Lodge Road says it is dedicated to help the environmental causeThe Phat Chip on Lodge Road says it is dedicated to help the environmental cause (Image: Ross Marshall)

“We have now made sure that we are 100 per cent cardboard across the board and doing our bit to help the country's environmental targets.

“We have introduced wooden knives and forks as well as pager bags and packaging.

“There is no plastic in our venue whatsoever, we are also looking at other ways to reduce our carbon footprint and modernise the business in future.”

Vahid Echrsh, 27, the owner of Hillmans Burger on the same road, said he decided to move to cardboard as soon as he heard about the ban.

Daily Echo: Vahid Echrsh showing his last eight plastic boxes and new cardboard alternativesVahid Echrsh showing his last eight plastic boxes and new cardboard alternatives (Image: Ross Marshall)

He said: “Not only is it good for the environment, but we had already considered moving to cardboard as the chemicals from the plastic packaging can affect the taste of the food.

“This was an easy switch for us and I’m glad to also be doing our part to help protect the environment with the added benefit of improving the food for our customers.”

Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “From 1 October, businesses must no longer supply, sell or offer certain single-use plastic items in England.

“This ban will help us deliver towards targets in our Environmental Improvement Plan to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste by 2042.”