The European Parliament overwhelmingly passed a bill on March 27, deciding to ban disposable plastic products such as straw, tableware and cotton swabs from 2021, so as to reduce plastic waste that will seriously pollute the sea. The EU said that this move could become a world model, and other regions, including Asia, may follow suit.
The European Parliament decided to ban disposable plastic products from 2021
The European Parliament passed the bill by 560 votes to 35 on the same day. The Act prohibits 10 types of disposable plastic products with substitutes, including cotton sticks, tableware, plates, straws, mixing rods, balloon rods, cups made of expanded polystyrene, food and beverage containers, and all oxidized degradable plastic products; These are the most common rubbish seen on beaches in Europe.
The bill also sets out the goal that by 2029, the recovery rate of plastic bottles should reach 90%, and the proportion of recyclable materials used as raw materials of plastic bottles should reach 25% and 30% respectively by 2025 and 2030.
Although other plastic products are not prohibited, they must comply with the new regulations in terms of design and labeling. For example, the packaging of wet paper towels must indicate that the product contains plastic, and inform consumers of the environmental impact of discarding wet paper towels everywhere.
The recovery and treatment fee shall be borne by the manufacturer
In addition, the manufacturer will bear the cost of recycling food bags, wrapping paper, plastic cigarette filters, fishing tackle, fishing nets and other supplies. The EU also encourages Member States to reduce the use of plastic packaging.
The increasingly serious pollution of plastic waste to the sea, the reports that dead whales were found with plastic in their stomachs, and China's decision to stop receiving foreign waste are all reasons for the EU's decision to act quickly to deal with it.
This bill was proposed by the European Commission in May 2018; In December of the same year, representatives of EU Member States and the European Parliament reached an agreement on the text of the bill.
Timmermans, vice president of the European Commission, said that Europe is not the most serious source of plastic pollution, but this groundbreaking measure can serve as a model for the world. ' Asian countries are very interested in our approach. So are Latin American countries. Although Europe accounts for a limited proportion of this pollution, our changing economic model will affect the world. '
Data show that the total amount of plastic waste produced by EU Member States each year reaches 25million metric tons, but only a quarter of it is recycled. Globally, plastic accounts for about 85% of marine garbage.
The European Parliament previously pointed out that the current output of plastic products in the EU has been 20 times higher than that in the 1960s. The European Commission estimates that after the implementation of the bill, the garbage polluting the European coast will be reduced by 70%.
Greenpeace, an environmental protection organization, welcomed the ban, but criticized the bill for not setting clear targets for reducing the use of more plastic products.
Today, each person in the world consumes an average of 53 kilograms of plastic every year, and the total amount of plastic waste produced is more than 300million metric tons; It is expected that by 2030, the amount of plastic waste will double, and the global ocean will be the most affected.
A report released by the World Wide Fund for nature (WWF) last month showed that nearly half of the plastic waste that currently pollutes the world was produced after 2000.
Reference website：http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20190321IPR32111/parliament-seals-ban-on-throwaway-plastics-by-2021