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The European Parliament wants disposable plastic to be banned from 2021. This includes straws, cutlery, plates, partitions and armbands. Such products often end up as waste in the streets or in the sea.
A large part of the European Parliament voted in favor of the proposal on Wednesday. This does not mean that the ban actually comes. The environment ministers of the Member States must also be in agreement.
In case of ban, plastic swabs, cutlery, plates, straws, stir sticks and ball sticks should now be made of durable material. According to the European Commission, these plastic products account for 70% of all waste at sea.
In addition, the use of plastic containers for food and disposable cups needs to be reduced. Manufacturers of candy wrappers and cigarette filters, for example, also have to pay for waste treatment.
Parliament also wants nine out of ten plastic bottles to be collected separately in 2025, for example by means of consignment systems. More than one in three bottles must then be made from recycled plastic.
Danger for humans and animals
This is a plan of European Commissioners Frans Timmermans (Better Regulation) and Jyrki Katainen (Growth). 571 deputies voted for and 53 against.
According to the European Commissioners, plastic waste in the oceans poses a threat to humans and animals. Fish, birds, whales and crustaceans eat the waste and they have enough. In addition, plastic ends up in people's food.
In addition, the committee qualifies all disposable plastics as wasteful of raw materials. And waste is bad again for the economy. Brussels hopes the ban will encourage companies to offer sustainable alternatives.
The European Union had already forced all member states to reduce the use of plastic bags. Since the introduction of this measure, the number of plastic bags in the North Sea has more than halved.
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