The European Parliament voted on Wednesday to ban the use of drinking straws, disposable dishes, swabs, and other disposable products made of plastic. The aim is mainly to combat the pollution of the oceans by plastic waste. The new regulation of the Parliament and of the Council of the EU-States – must now negotiate a compromise.
The situation is serious. In the world, but also in Europe, used enormous amounts of plastic and then thrown away. Just under a third of the plastic waste is collected according to the EU-Commission and re-used. Much of the rest ends up in rubbish dumps or in the environment. Plastic decomposes very slowly and accumulates particularly in the sea and on beaches. Up to 85 percent of all in the EU, the washed-up waste are made of plastic – it is in about half of cases weggeschmissene disposable products.
For birds, fish and other sea animals plastic is a great danger. They eat it or get tangled in it. Plastic traces in fish appears also on plate of people. The EU-Commission and the environment Committee in the Parliament have now taken a number of measures into the race, to plastic garbage to curb.
Straws, Plastic Utensils, Cotton Buds, Balloon Holder
Most clearly noticeable for the consumer, the prohibition of disposable plastic. This has been decided by the European Parliament on Wednesday. Now, it must be wrestled with the EU member States to reach a compromise. Whether the new plastic-election in may 2019 rules before Europe pushed through, is questionable.
Among the banned products, straws, plastic tableware and Cutlery, cotton swabs, and balloon holder. Be banished, but only items for which there is, from the point of view of the EU Commission’s Alternative. As a replacement for plastic drinking straws from paper or reusable made of a harder plastic, for example, come in question.
Packaging for fruits, vegetables, Desserts, or ice cream
The environment Committee in the EU Parliament want to put in addition, including lightweight plastic bags and certain foamed plastics on the ban list, as it is known, for example, of the white boxes for Take-away food.
Reduction targets to the EU member States to introduce for plastic products, which are not yet Readily by other materials replaced. This relates especially to containers for food: for example, boxes for Sandwiches, as well as packaging for fruit, vegetables, Desserts, or ice cream. All member States should collect, also, by 2025, at least 90 percent of the plastic beverage bottles for recycling, with the help of a Einwegpfands as in Germany.
Consumer education
Another approach is the education of consumers. To do this in the future on many packaging notes: for proper disposal and the potential damage that could cause the product, when it ends up in the environment. For example, consumers could be in the future asked by shield to not let any air balloons ascend. But the CDU member of Parliament Peter Liese rejects. Balloons accounted for a statistically measurable proportion of the pollution in the world’s oceans, he says. I find it so disproportionate if we ruin the people, especially the children, the fun.
Also cigarettes often contain plastic
The environment Committee also wants to reduce cigarette waste. In the Filter is often included plastic, a single butt can pollute up to 1000 liters of water. The deputies want, that the quantity of waste plastic-containing cigarette filters is reduced in 2030 by 80 percent.
In addition, a contribution to the costs of the manufacturer for the Cleaning of the environment is provided. Until recently, the taxpayer or the tourism industry pay for it. The manufacturer of fishing nets with plastic components should also be used for the disposal to the cashier asked.
Greenpeace sees a serious deficiency in the proposals. The Definition of single-use plastic is much too closely, criticised Greenpeace marine biologist Thilo Maack. In order for a bolt-hole for the plastic industry, inside The corporations could ignore under the current proposal, the reduction targets simply, if your products, be it a disposable plastic Cup or a straw, reusable.
The plastic industry warns, however, against fast shots. Here, important laws were rushed through without the consequences, said the European packaging Association, pack2go. It falls in the food-sector or problems in the food hygiene threatened, if the plastic consumption will be drastically reduced. So far, millions of Europeans took advantage of every day packaging for food or drinks to Take away, – said the Association.