European Parliament votes to ban single-use plastics

On Wednesday, the European Parliament voted to ban single-use plastics.

The new law bans certain single-use plastic items, such as plastic cutlery, plastic straws, and plastic plates. This ban is planned to be in place by 2021. The law also states that “[m]ember states will have to achieve a 90% collection target for plastic bottles by 2029, and plastic bottles will have to contain at least 25% of recycled content by 2025 and 30% by 2030.”

The law also puts more responsibility on polluters, strengthening “the application of the polluter pays principle.”

Source: Jurist