In order to combat environmental pollution, the EU has announced a plan to recycle plastic packaging under the EU plan to end the use of plastic products, including disposable coffee cups, by 2030. The European Commission said it hopes to adopt the Plans to increase the recycling rate of plastic packaging and ensure that all plastic packaging can be recycled or reused by 2030. In addition, the EU also hopes to create new business opportunities through the program.
At the same time, the EU will formulate new measures to increase the recyclability of plastic products used in the market and increase the use of recycled plastic components. The plastic recycling mechanism will also be improved to establish a more advanced and standardized waste collection system. Since plastic particles Can enter the human body through air, water and food, so the plan also includes measures to limit the use of plastic particles in cosmetics and detergents.
Statistics show that 85% of the beach waste in the world is plastic garbage, so the measures announced in the EU include the daily cleaning up of 700 kg of plastic garbage washed ashore, meanwhile, the EU also plans to reduce from the source The production of marine debris sets new rules for the port and shipping industry to ensure that rubbish produced at sea from ships is not discharged into the sea but transported back to the land and properly disposed of.
The European Commission will provide guidance to member governments and European companies on how to minimize the source of plastic waste and support for technological innovation.The EU said that with the existing financial support, the EU will also be in the 2020 Additional 100 million euros to develop more recyclable plastic materials, improve recycling processes, trace and remove hazardous materials and contaminants from recycled plastics.
The reason for the launch of the program is that the European Union has said that the widespread use of plastic packaging has caused an alarming waste in Europe and plastic rubbishes are often difficult to break apart and present a serious environmental problem.The European Commission notes that plastic packaging materials Only 5% of its economic value can be retained in economic activity, the remaining 95% will disappear after its first use, resulting in the waste of 70 to 105 billion euros in Europe each year.In addition, the EU produces about 25 million tons of Plastic waste, but the recovery rate is less than 30% .Non-recyclable plastic waste takes hundreds of years to decompose the EU as a single commodity market, have the responsibility to participate in solving these problems.
"The EU also hopes that this program will help to gradually transform the economy in the region into a circular economy." Jurkat Kanening, vice chairman of the European Commission responsible for employment, growth, investment and competitiveness, said the plan to protect the European environment Polluted by plastics, it can also promote economic growth and technological innovation in the EU, which can create new investment and employment programs by shifting the design, production, use and recycling of plastic products, thereby adding impetus to the EU's economic growth. Under the plan, the EU will make good use of its recycling business to curb plastic waste, eliminate littering at sea, promote investment and innovation and stimulate global change.
Kärtening sees the program as 'a great opportunity for the European industry to establish a global leadership in new technologies and materials.' He added that there is no single market for plastic recycling in Europe without a complete set of standards Establishing a market is a top priority.
According to the European Plastics Manufacturers Association statistics, the EU plastic industry output reached 340 billion euros and employed more than 1.5 million people in 2015. The EU plans to create 200,000 new jobs in the plastic waste sorting and recycling industry by 2030.