The Turkish Republic of North Cyprus’ first single-use plastic regulation came into force on Tuesday, with the aim of reducing the amount of plastic waste produced.

According to the new law, it is now forbidden to provide single-use plastic products at any point of sale without a fee, while a whole host of single-use plastic items have been banned outright.

The list of prohibited items includes plastic earbuds except for those supplied for medical use, as well as single-use plastic forks, spoons, knives, plates, cups, stirring sticks, straws, balloon stems, and takeaway meal packages made of plastic and polystyrene.

The law provides for a six-month transition period wherein companies are allowed to use their remaining stock of single-use plastic products before transferring entirely over to alternatives by 11 January next year.

The Department of Environmental Protection has called on members of the public to report businesses and establishments violating the new regulation to the ALO 123 Environmental Complaints hotline.