Purge on plastic waste from the European Union

A BLANKET BAN on more plastic products is set to advance the European Union’s environmental policy. In a new move announced on November 30, the EU wants to ban plastic products including disposable cups in restaurants and cafes and mini shampoo bottles in hotels.

The ban is set to fight excess waste in Europe but will need to be approved by the European Commission as well as EU member states.

Other new measures have also been proposed, including to introduce compulsory deposit and return points for single-use plastic bottles and metal cans, and a ban on excess packaging on online purchases. The EU also wants to make recycling easier by simplifying the system for the public.

The Executive Vice President for the European Commission, Frans Timmerman, explained the policy, “The way goods are packaged can and should be done a lot better. Such overpacking is a nuisance to us and is increasingly damaging to our environment”.

The move follows a 2019 ban from the supranational body on disposable cutlery, straws and coffee stirrers, as packaging waste continues to rise across the continent.