Now it is a done deal: The EU countries want to have a plastic ban in the case of disposable products. The end of a cotton swab, and a further nine products seam. From Brussels Bernd reported Riegert.
Sucked: By 2021 to EU citizens alternative Straws to use
The good news for children’s birthdays and Party-organizer: balloons made of plastic may continue to fly and also need to take in the future in the EU, no warnings. The plastic rods where air balloons are sometimes held, however, by 2021, prohibited. The bad news for smokers: cigarettes are likely to be a bit more expensive, because the tobacco industry is to be involved in the disposal costs for carelessly discarded cigarette butts.
Future Bans
These are just two of the rules, on which the European Parliament, the EU member States and the European Commission after 12 hours of negotiations early Wednesday morning, as agreed. Up to 70 percent of the plastic waste that is found on European beaches, can be avoided by the following new prohibitions and regulations of 2021, believe the environmental experts in the Parliament and the Commission:
1. Cotton swab to be banned from plastic for the ear cleaning.
2. Cutlery, chopsticks and plates made of plastic shall not be used.
3. Drinking straws and stirrers made of plastic are no longer sold.
4. Beverage and food packaging made of foamed plastic (polystyrene) for fast food or fruit to be forbidden.
5. Products that disintegrate in a potentially health-hazardous micro-plastic, for example, certain plastic bags or cosmetics, may not be sold.
6. Fishing nets, which account for approximately 27 percent of the garbage in the seas, to be taken by the manufacturers free of charge for the fishing.
Rather vague objectives for packaging
For beverage bottles and the closure mandatory recycling quotas are caps by 25 percent, prescribed: by 2025, 30 percent by 2030. Until 2029, 90 percent of all beverage bottles are to be collected, either recycled again or dispose of it in an environmentally friendly manner. For drink cups and food packaging in the EU-member States are to achieve by 2026 “measurable” reductions, the adopted today the draft law. The EU Commission will be commissioned by 2026, impose binding targets to reduce sausage packaging, sealed vegetables, or individually wrapped biscuits.
On the Baltic sea beach in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: plastic waste is increasing
“Plastic, not demonize”
Karl Heinz Florenz, environmental expert of the Christian Democrats in the European Parliament, thinks that the Europeans will learn, with plastic different deal. “It’s not about to demonise plastic,” said Florence, in Brussels, “but rather to use Alternatives, to dispense with Superfluous, and a discussion on plastic use on the trail.” The EU-politicians, it was clear that plastic waste in the oceans, a world-wide Problem.
Therefore, Florence is trying to work with other regions of the world. Encouraging is that in India, starting in 2022 disposable plastic prohibited. In China, Bangladesh, Kenya, Korea, and Rwanda in particular plastic, has been banished to the bags already. At one of the largest consumers of micro-plastic, the United States, is Karl-Heinz Florenz, are less optimistic.
“A Christmas package for the environment”
Martin Häusling, Environmental policy-makers in the green group in the Parliament, provides for the nocturnal unification as an early Christmas gift for the environment and the future of the Europeans. “Every plastic bottle that is washed up on a beach and every bird, choking on our plastic waste, shows how important the new rules are. After the EU has denied the Commission a few years ago, any need for plastic bans, this agreement is now a great success”, said Häusling. The new EU law must now be adopted formally and the soon to be 27, member States will be implemented in two years. The member States can go further than the regulations. Italy has already banned thin, disposable plastic bags.