EU Takes Aim at Single-Use Plastics
On Wednesday, all 28 EU member states gave the green light to outlaw a bunch of single‑use plastic items, inching the bloc closer to a full ban on the products that pile up in our oceans.
What’s on the chopping block?
- Straws – the slimy nuisance that swims in the seas
- Cutlery – the disposable forks, knives, and spoons that ruin our daily meals
- Cotton buds – the tiny plastic sticks that are surprisingly deadly to marine life
- Balloon sticks – those flimsy poles that end up as sea debris
The European Parliament’s last‑week vote was a landslide, and now the council – the big decision‑makers – is stepping up to finalize the text. Draft laws will kick off next week, with a target of settling the treaty in December and it will take effect in 2021.
“Who clears the mess?”
The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, already suggested that manufacturers of these plastics should foot the bill for cleaning up the waste. The council wants to add a twist: companies that import and sell these guilty products should also share the load.
Besides, the council is calling for each country to set concrete goals to slash single‑use plastic consumption, especially in areas where nothing eco‑friendly is available yet.
Why the rush?
Official estimates say that about 70% of the plastic mix in beaches and oceans comes from single‑use items. Last week, researchers were stunned to find that plastics are not just in the water—they’re floating their way into the human food chain too.
