Landmark ban on throwaway plastics backed by European Parliament majority

25 Oct 2018 --- In a landmark move, the European Parliament voted on Wednesday to ban many single-use plastic items such as plates, cutlery, straws, balloon sticks and cotton buds from 2021. NGO’s and think tanks are now calling for national governments to follow suit. The report, drafted by Frédérique Ries, was adopted with 571 votes to 53 and 34 abstentions. Parliament will enter into negotiations with Council when EU ministers have set their own position on the file.

“We have adopted the most ambitious legislation against single-use plastics. It is up to us now to stay the course in the upcoming negotiations with the Council, due to start as early as November. Today’s vote paves the way to a forthcoming and ambitious directive. It is essential in order to protect the marine environment and reduce the costs of environmental damage attributed to plastic pollution in Europe, estimated at 22 billion euros by 2030,” says Ries.

Other plastics, such as beverage bottles, will have to be collected separately and recycled at a rate of 90 percent by 2025. Cigarette filters containing plastic must be reduced by 50 percent by 2025 and 80 percent by 2030. For fishing gear, one of the largest contributors to marine litter, harmonized standards will be developed, and minimum collection and recycling targets will be set at the EU level.

Regarding the consumption of other items “for which no alternative exists,” member states must reduce their use by at least 25 percent by 2025, as well as encourage re-using and recycling. These items include single-use burger boxes, sandwich boxes or food containers for fruits, vegetables, desserts or ice creams.

Representatives of EU national governments are expected to meet later this month to agree on their joint position, and the three-way negotiations between governments, the European Parliament, and the European Commission could then start as soon as early November.

What have the reactions been?
Despite largely positive responses, campaigners have voiced disappointment that the full Parliament did not vote for a ban on very light-weight single-use plastic bags, as supported by its Environment committee.

The Rethink Plastic alliance of NGOs flagged a potential loophole to the previous draft EU laws on banning single-use plastics earlier this month. Campaigners were concerned that the committee’s proposed definition of “single-use” plastic items was too narrow, and could lead to producers easily avoiding bans, and would allow them to ignore reduction targets and other measures to reduce plastic pollution. 

However, speaking to PackagingInsights, Meadhbh Bolger, Resource Justice Campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe, notes that the problematic definition was rejected by the full plenary in the vote on Wednesday, meaning that it is going back to the stronger definition of single-use plastic in the Commission’s proposal, which reduces the risk of loopholes.

However, she warns that: “Whether it's [the ban] enough to tackle plastic pollution in our environment will depend on whether our politicians can hold their nerve in the face of lobbying from the plastic industry to weaken the law and riddle it with loopholes. For example, there is likely to be a push for exemptions for biodegradable and composite plastics. It's vital they do not bow to this lobby pressure.”

European Bioplastics (EUBP) takes a different stance and stated in its reaction to the vote that “hygiene and food safety cannot be compromised. With regard to some of the concerned single-use products – such as plates and cutlery – biodegradable certified compostable plastics provide an organically recyclable alternative,” says François de Bie, Chairman of EUBP.

EUBP considers the Parliament’s decision to restrict the use of single-use cutlery and plates as not sufficiently considering the reality of food consumption in Europe. In certain closed-loop contexts, such as canteens, air travel, or sport and music events, they note that these are indispensable and efficient solution to guarantee safety and hygiene for food and drinks while ensuring at the same time waste collection and recycling.

Speaking to PackagingInsights, Hasso Von Pogrell, Managing Director of EUBP, further notes that the ban must fit in with a circular economy. He states that there are further ways to do this than to address marine littering with a wide-sweeping ban. Another crucial issue is having sound waste infrastructure in place, as well as educating the public so as to not litter in the first place and perhaps even increasing the price of plastic so that it becomes a material of more value to people. Such issues could, according to van Pogrell, address single-use plastic waste in a more circular manner. You can read an in-depth interview with van Pogrell on the topic of Bioplastics here.

Further announcements on the ban will be made in the upcoming three-way negotiations between governments, the European Parliament, and the European Commission.

By Laxmi Haigh