Europe to Ban Single-Use Plastics from 202128.03.2019

Plastic straws, utensils, and plates will be disappearing from store shelves from 2021 onwards. The directive signed recently by the European Parliament moves to ban the sales of all single-use plastics across the EU. 

The bill, intending to considerable reduce the use of plastics in the European Union, was passed almost unanimously. The new legislation signals a shift in the EU’s environmental policy, designed to tackle the growing problem of plastic pollution with concrete solutions. According to a Survey commissioned by the European Commission, plastic waste amounts to around 80% of all trash found on European beaches. 

The manufacture of plastic bottling will still be allowed past the 2021 deadline—but from 2025 onwards, they will have to contain at least 25% of recycled content. The new directive also includes fine hikes for countries that exceed stringent waste production targets. 

This pro-environmental shift will be a challenge primarily to corporations which, aside from plastic straws, tend to use cups made from polystyrene, a synthetic polymer that may be considered a health hazard.