On October 10, 2018, the European Parliament’s (EP) Environment Committee (ENVI) adopted the draft proposal for EU regulation on single-use plastics (FPF reported). On the same day, the Rethink Plastic alliance of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) issued a statement warning of “loopholes” in this regulation. As summarized in the articles by the NGOs ECOS and European Environmental Bureau (EEB), “the proposed definition of ‘single-use’ plastic items is too narrow, and could lead to producers easily avoiding bans, and would allow them to ignore reduction targets and other measures to reduce plastic pollution.” Thus, “producers could simply market items like throwaway plastic cups as reusable.” However, “a turtle choked on relabeled plastic is still a dead turtle,” as Kevin Stairs, chemicals policy director at Greenpeace EU, commented.
On October 9, 2018, the NGOs Rethink Plastic, Break Free From Plastic, and Sum of Us delivered a petition to the European Parliament (EP), “calling for the legislation to hold companies responsible for plastic pollution.” The full EP plenary vote on the draft proposal for EU regulation on single-use plastics is scheduled for October 22, 2018.
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Mauro Anastasio (October 10, 2018). “Plastic producers could market single-use items as reusable to dodge EU ban.” EEB
ECOS (October 10, 2018). “Plastic producers could market single-use items as reusable to dodge EU ban.”
Rethink Plastic, Break Free From Plastic, Sum of Us (October 9, 2018). “MEPs: Don’t go soft on plastics. Ensure that producers pay for their pollution!” petition
EP (October 10, 2018). “Plastic Oceans: MEPs back EU ban on polluting throwaway plastics by 2021.“
