Prohibition of straw and other plastics until 2021 approved by EU

Formally approved the ban until 2021 of certain single-use plastic products, for example, straws, balloon sticks and swabs.

[dropcap type=”background”]N[/dropcap]ew rules endorsed by the Council of the EU for dishes, cutlery, straws, balloon sticks and single-use plastic swabs will have the days counted until 2021.

The single-use plastics directive is based on EU waste legislation currently in force but, according to a Council communiqué, goes further by laying down stricter standards for the types of products and packaging that are among the top ten polluting elements found on European beaches.

The new rules prohibit the use of certain disposable plastic products for which alternatives exist and introduce specific measures to reduce the use of the most frequently discarded products.

Single-use plastic products are wholly or partly made of plastic and are generally intended to be used only once or for a short time before being discarded. The Member States agreed to achieve the target of collecting 90% for plastic bottles by 2029, which must contain at least 25% recycled material by 2025 and 30% by 2030.