The European Parliament has voted to ban single-use plastic items including straws, food containers and cotton bud sticks in a n effort to tackle marine litter. 560 lawmakers voted in favour of the agreement however, 35 were against.
Frans Timmermans, the First Vice President of the European Commission, said: “Today we have taken an important step to reduce littering and plastic pollution in our oceans and seas,”
He added: “Europe is setting new and ambitious standards, paving the way for the rest of the world,”
Parliament has approved a new law banning single-use plastic items:
✔️ Items such as single-use straws to be banned by 2021
✔️ 90% collection target for plastic bottles by 2029
✔️ More stringent application of the polluter pays principleRead more ➡️ https://t.co/Zthe3AnAA1 pic.twitter.com/IXAittyHUt
— European Parliament (@Europarl_EN) March 27, 2019
As well as targeting the most common plastic beach little, the ban will ban single-use polystyrene cups and those made from oxo-degradable plastics. EU member states will have to introduce the measures to reduce the use of plastic food containers and plastic lids for hot drinks. By 2025, plastic bottles should be made of 25% recycled content and by 2029 90% of them should be recycled.
Every year, Europeans generate 25m tonnes of plastic waste but less than 30% is collected for recycling, more than 80% of marine litter is plastic.
The agreement will extend the polluter pays principle putting more pressure on manufacturers to tobacco filters, fishing gear and other pollutive products.
