England's single-use plastic ban changed what "disposable" means

Since October 2023, England has banned businesses from supplying single-use plastic plates, bowls, trays, and cutlery for food eaten on the premises, and many retailers have stopped stocking them for home use too. When shopping for a party, look for the paper, bamboo, or compostable equivalents now sold as standard replacements, since a straightforward plastic pack is no longer guaranteed to be on the shelf.

Renting reusable tableware instead of buying disposables

For a larger UK party or a marquee wedding, hiring proper glassware and crockery from a catering hire company can work out cheaper per head than disposables once you account for the quantities this calculator suggests, on top of being the more common expectation at a formal UK wedding reception.