EU Commission plans ban on plastic waste
Plastic utensils, straws, coffee stirrers and cotton swabs may soon be a lot harder to come by in Europe. The EU Commission is to present its plan to ban the single-use products in the fight against plastic waste, Deutsche Welle reports.
The European Commission is due to present a draft directive aimed at reducing plastic pollution in cities and oceans by banning several plastic products, according to German media reports on Sunday.
The exact plans will be revealed on Monday. The commissioners have warned that if nothing is done, there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish by 2050.
According to reports by public broadcaster ARD and newspapers belonging to the Funke Media Group, Commission officials say the draft law will include the following:
- A ban on the private use of disposable plastic products like straws, plastic plates, plastic utensils, plastic coffee stirrers, cotton swabs with plastic stems and plastic balloon holders.
- For every kilogram of plastic waste that wasn't recycled, EU states would be required to pay a certain amount to the EU budget.
- Each member state should use a deposit system or other measure in order to collect 90 percent of plastic bottles used in their country by 2025.
- The use of plastic cups and packaging for fast food should also be curbed.
- An increase in consumer information about the dangers of plastic packaging.