The European Parliament voted on the 24th to approve the ban on the use of disposable plastic products from 2021 to curb the pollution of marine and ecological environment caused by increasingly serious plastic waste.
Disposable plastic products such as plastic tableware, thin plastic bags, plastic swabs, straws, etc. can be seen everywhere in life. With the pursuit of convenient lifestyles and the development of tourism, the use of disposable plastic products is becoming more and more common. Pollution to the environment and the oceans is also increasing. According to EU statistics, plastic waste accounts for up to 85% of all waste, about half of which is disposable. Only less than one-third of plastic waste is collected. And reuse, most of the rest are left in landfills or in the environment. Plastics decompose very slowly, especially in the oceans and beaches, which are very harmful to birds, fish and other marine animals. The plastic residue that is eaten is fed back through the food chain and will return to people's table, which is harmful to human health.
In response to the global hazard of plastic waste, the European Commission submitted a proposal for controlling plastic waste in May, hoping to ban the use of disposable plastic items such as disposable tableware. According to the latest proposal of the European Parliament, from 2021 As a result, the European Union will ban the production and sale of disposable plastic products such as disposable tableware, cotton swabs, straws, etc., which will be replaced by paper, straw or reusable hard plastic. Plastic bottles will be collected separately according to existing recycling models; to 2025 In the year, the recycling rate of disposable plastic bottles in member countries is required to reach 90%.