Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council in Dublin could be the first local authority to ban certain single-use plastics.

Retailers and organisations that ignore the rules could face fines of up to €500 under the proposals.

Under draft bye-laws retailers, supermarkets and other food businesses which use the likes of plastic containers, utensils, bottles and other packaging could be hit with the fine.

The proposal, which will soon be open to public consultation, has come from Fine Gael Councillor Barry Ward.

He says the proposal is "the first step towards addressing single-use plastics."

"Looking forward to the feedback from businesses and the public on how we can make this work for everyone."

However the Restaurants Association of Ireland has expressed concern that some food businesses might not be ready to go fully plastic-free.

Last year, the Government brought forward plans to ban single-use plastics.

It was part of a suite of measures that also included putting fees on non-recyclable plastics and cutting dependence on landfill.

Back in 2018, the European Parliament voted in favour of measures that could lead to a complete ban on a range of single-use plastics across the bloc.

The move aimed to ban items like plastic straws, cutlery, cups, plates and cotton buds in an attempt to tackle the amount of plastic waste in the sea.

It also aimed to put more of the clean-up burden on the companies that produce the plastic products and packaging - and called for a reduction in single-use plastic containers for food and drink.