European Union to Ban Single-Use Plastics by 2021

Single use-plastics include plastic straws, plates, and cutlery. (Wikimedia Commons)

The European Parliament issued a press release on October 24 announcing the adoption of a ban on “single-use plastic items such as plates, cutlery, straws, balloon sticks or cotton buds” by 2021, according to their website. The consumption of other types of single-use plastic items with no alternatives will be reduced by 25 percent by 2025. Each member state will be responsible for creating its own plan to increase the reuse and recycling of products.

This significant move comes in response to rising concerns about ocean pollution and the effects of single plastics on marine life. According to the European Commission’s website, more than 80 percent of marine litter is made of plastic. These new restrictions cover about 70 percent of all marine litter items. In the European Parliament’s press release, Frédérique Ries, a Belgium MEP, identified the move as the “most ambitious” legislation against single plastics. Regarding the vote on October 24, she said it is “essential in order to protect the marine environment and reduce the costs of environmental damage attributed to plastic pollution in Europe.”

The European Parliament’s press release ends with the concession that while plastics are a “convenient” and “economically valuable” material, the negative environmental and economic impact they have needs to be addressed. Frans Timmermans, Vice President of the European Council, told the Guardian that the council’s priority is to clamp down on “single-use plastics that take five seconds to produce. You use it for five minutes and it takes 500 years to break down again.” On October 31, the council announced its acceptance of the draft directive on and plans to bring it to a trilogue meeting on November 6.