January 16, the European Commission announced the implementation of the first EU-wide strategy for plastic products, as a more important step toward a more circular economy.
The strategy aims to protect the environment from plastic pollution while promoting growth and innovation and transforming the challenge into a positive agenda for the future of Europe, according to which all plastic packages in the EU market will be fully recyclable by 2030, one-off Plastic consumption will be reduced, and deliberate use of plastic particles will be limited.
It is estimated that Europeans produce about 25 million tons of plastic waste annually, but less than 30%. Plastic accounts for 85% of the beach waste around the world. As the plastic particles fill the air, water and food, the tentacles of plastic even reach People's lungs and tables.In addition, only 5% of plastic packaging materials have value, the vast majority of the loss after the first use soon, Europe can not afford this annual expenditure of 7 billion to 105 billion euros.
Frans Timomens, the first vice chairman of the European Commission in charge of sustainable development, warned that if Europe does not change the way plastics are manufactured and used, the plastic in European oceans will be more than the fish in 2050 .
Carlos Modas, the European Commission's research and innovation commissioner, said in his Facebook account that so far, Horizon 2020 has provided more than 250 million euros to fund research on plastic recycling. Greater support for innovative activities in this area will add an additional 100 million euros to the development of smarter, more recyclable plastic materials, to make plastic recycling more efficient and to trace and remove harmful substances and contaminants from recycled plastics.