Plastics are everywhere in our daily life: they are used in packaging, buildings, cars, electronics, agriculture and other sectors. On 3 July 2021, the EU ban on disposable plastics comes into effect. This will concern straws, cups, cutlery, plates, but also balloon rods.

Single-use plastic products are used once, or for a short period of time, before being thrown away. The impacts of this plastic waste on the environment and our health are global and can be drastic. Single-use plastic products are more likely to end up in our seas than reusable options.

The 10 most commonly found single-use plastic items on European beaches, alongside fishing gear, represent 70% of all marine litter in the EU. According to the directive on single-use plastics where sustainable alternatives are easily available and affordable, single-use plastic products cannot be placed on the markets of EU Member States. This applies to cotton bud sticks, cutlery, plates, straws, stirrers, and sticks for balloons.

It will also apply to cups, food and beverage containers made of expanded polystyrene, and on all products made of oxo-degradable plastic. The EU aims to become a forerunner in the global fight against marine litter and plastic pollution. EU rules aim to reduce the volume and impact of certain plastic products on environment.

Plastics production is 20 times higher than in 1960s, and is forecast to almost quadruple by 2050. Although there are thousands of types of plastics, 90% of plastics are derived from virgin fossil fuels. About 6% of global oil consumption is used to produce plastics; by 2050, this share could reach 20%. In Europe, about 40% of post-consumer plastic waste is incinerated with energy recovery, and the rest is either landfilled or recycled. About half of the plastic waste collected and recycled is treated in the European Union; the other half is exported, mainly to China.

EU Strategy for Plastics

EU countries are required to drastically reduce the use of the most common and polluting plastic bags under new rules voted by Parliament on 28 April 2015.

In 2010 EU citizens used an estimated 198 plastic carrier bags, some 90% of which were lightweight. Binding reduction targets were put in place. EU member states will be able to choose: either to take measures to reduce annual average consumption of plastic bags to 90 lightweight bags per citizen by the end of 2019 or 40 by the end of 2025. Since the end of 2018, no more light plastic bags are given to shoppers free of charge.

#EUelections2019 - Plastics bags

On 27 March 2019, Parliament approved a new law banning single-use plastic items such as plates, cutlery, straws and cotton buds.

A milestone success is the ban of single-use plastic products such as cutlery, cotton buds, plates, straws, beverage stirrers and balloon sticks which will be banned from the EU market from 2021.

#EUelections2019 - Single use plastics

As part of a shift in EU policy towards a circular economy, the European Parliament worked on four legislative proposals introducing new waste-management targets regarding reuse, recycling and landfilling. The proposals also strengthen provisions on waste prevention and extended producer responsibility, and streamline definitions, reporting obligations and calculation methods for targets.

#EUelections2019 - Circular economy

Single plastics

This infoclip illustrates the packaging and packaging waste regulation. The proposed regulation would apply to all packaging and to all packaging waste. It would set out requirements for substances in packaging (e.g. restrictions on the presence of lead, cadmium, mercury and hexavalent chromium). Furthermore, all packaging would have to be recyclable. Some packaging must be compostable by two years after the entry into force of the regulation (such as filter coffee pods and sticky labels attached to fruit and vegetables). Furthermore, packaging must be designed to minimise its weight and volume. The proposal would also introduce requirements for packaging to be considered reusable. The footage shows plastic and and recyclable packaging adn different efforts to reduce waste and encourage recycling.

Infoclip: Packaging and packaging waste

Each of us produces almost 180 kg of packaging waste in a year. This is 20 % more than a decade ago. 40 % of all the plastics and 50 % of all the paper used in the EU goes into packaging. This emits more CO2 than an average-sized EU country. On 30 November 2022, the Commission proposed to revise the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive. This review contributes to reaching the objective of the European Green Deal and the new circular economy action plan to ensure that “all packaging on the EU market is reusable or recyclable in an economically viable way by 2030”. Restrictions: ©The material may not be edited and must be shown entirely.

6 facts about packaging waste

Up to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic enters the oceans each year. About three quarters of the marine litter in the world's seas is plastic. As from the 3rd of July 2021, according to the legislation adopted by the European Parliament in 2019, single use plastic items such as straws or plastic plates will be forbidden. This infoclip illustrates the uses of various sort of alternatives to single use plastics in fast-food and shopping.

Infoclip: Alternatives to single use plastics

In March 2019, European Parliament approved a new law banning single-use plastic items such as plates, cutlery, straws and cotton buds sticks. On 3 July 2021, the ban of certain single-use plastic products enters into force. Frederique RIES (Renew, BE), rapporteur in 2019 of the EP Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) gives a statement on the different measures becoming law.

End of single use plastics: statement by the rapporteur of the EP Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs debate on how reduce ocean waste: the circular economy should be boosted through collecting, recycling and upcycling, and fishing gear should be designed in a more sustainable way. Extracts from the debate (24/03), from the vote (25/03), statement by Catherine CHABAUD (Renew, FR).

Impact on fisheries marine litter: statement by Catherine CHABAUD (Renew, FR), Rapporteur, extracts from the debate and the vote

This infoclip illustrates the EU Biodiversity Strategy in the franework of the European Green Deal programme: views of the Parc de Sainte Croix, in Rhodes (France), European pond turtles, coypu, brown bears, raccoon, griffon vulture, grey wolf. Views of the Mediterranean coast, views of the countryside; and planting trees initiative.

Infoclip: Green Deal - The EU Biodiversity Strategy

This Infoclip illustrates is the production process of a suitcase made with recycled curbside collected plastic packaging waste. The shells are made of recycled polypropylene (PP) from Post-Consumer packaging and the inner liner is made from recycled plastic PET bottles.

Infoclip: Circular economy - Recycling of plastic waste into travel suitcases

Live replay of the debate on Reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment during the plenary session (25-28 March 2019) in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Closing statements by Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rightsand by Frédérique RIES (ALDE,BE), rapporteur

Reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment: closing statement by Frédérique RIES (ALDE,BE), rapporteur and Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC (16:17 - 16:23)

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Infoclip: Packaging and packaging waste

6 facts about packaging waste

Infoclip: Alternatives to single use plastics

End of single use plastics: statement by the rapporteur of the EP Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Impact on fisheries marine litter: statement by Catherine CHABAUD (Renew, FR), Rapporteur, extracts from the debate and the vote

Infoclip: Green Deal - The EU Biodiversity Strategy

Infoclip: Circular economy - Recycling of plastic waste into travel suitcases

Reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment: closing statement by Frédérique RIES (ALDE,BE), rapporteur and Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC (16:17 - 16:23)

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EU Strategy for Plastics

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