Jyrki Katainen, vice president of employment, investment and competitiveness at the European Commission, said: 'The EU should retain and recycle' valuable plastics 'in a single-cycle economy.'
Jyrki Katainen added: 'The recent ban on plastic in China is a great opportunity for Europe.' 'He also put forward some ideas for future legislation, including labeling of plastic consumables with durability labels Ensuring that the plastic used for packaging has one and the same standard also provides the possibility of taxation.
He said the ban on the use of micro-plastics in cosmetics and the definition of biodegradable plastics under EU law have also been put on the agenda of the European Commission.
Jyrki Katainen also expressed his opinion at the annual European Parliament this week: "The definition of our biodegradable plastic is misleading, and it is often understood that you can put it in your home or in common manure We need to raise our awareness and need to be able to recognize the meaning of biodegradability under the European standard.
At the same time, he believes that the use of biodegradable plastics on the environment should also be noted.
Policies for pipettes or disposable cups are also under discussion.
Jyrki Katainen said: 'The problem now is that we have too many different types of plastic, put together when the separation and recovery becomes difficult, while only 5% of the EU plastic consumption as a whole is recycled plastic, the remaining 95% Of the plastic is a virgin plastic made from crude oil, and only 6% of plastic is recycled in 28 countries, a situation that must improve.
He added: 'Marking the durability of plastics and recycling information may have an impact on consumer behavior.'
Many French manufacturers voluntarily mark the durability of their plastic products from 2020 onwards.
On the other hand, taxes can play a role at many levels.
Jyrki Katainen said: "In the plastic industry, there is a question as to who we should tax, who are buying plastic raw materials, plastic manufacturers or consumers, or just to add oil for plastics and other uses And increase the tax?
The UK is taxing the use of very thin plastic disposables, a move aimed at raising consumer awareness rather than financing circular economy.
He said taxing plastic may be levied from the perspective of the state and the EU.
The vice president further announced that they will expand the influence of the EU and hold high-level economic talks with overseas and Asian countries.
He said: 'Most of the plastic is derived from marine litter and the most effective way is to cooperate at the international level. I hope that the circular economy will be raised to a higher level and hopes to have dialogue with China and Japan.'
The EU is already negotiating with China on the matter and will also start talks with Japan.
The European Commission is also planning to step up its focus on industrial waste in the fishing industry, which is one of the major causes of marine pollution, according to Jyrki Katainen, ending with only 5% of plastic packaging waste remaining in the European Union, concluding: 'There is no China to deal with our plastic waste, forcing us to face a situation that must be reformed.'
The key points of the European Commission meeting are as follows:
- By 2030, all plastic packaging should be reusable and recyclable by improving design and adding recyclable content.
- Initiation of EU-wide pledging to strengthen the public and chemical sector's renewal of recyclable plastics.
- Contain plastic waste, including waste from bioplastics.
- By 2018, the Commission will propose a new plastic research agenda. By 2020, the EU will invest 100 million euros in plastics innovation and research.
- Reduce ocean waste by reducing disposables and gear.
- Work with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to establish a recycling economy financial platform to help and guide investment and innovation.
- Water sector improvements: Increasing transparency rules and encouraging references to tap water can save over 600 million euros annually and reduce the use of plastic bottles.