European Union prohibits use of household plastic
The European Union has agreed on the provisions of a directive on the prohibition of the use of household plastic products, including straws, plates and foam cups. TASS reported with reference to the German N-TV channel.
It is expected that the initiative to stop the use of products from polymers will be implemented within two years, the ban applies to those products having more environmentally friendly alternative.
In May, the European Commission (EC) submitted a draft «plastic directive», which determined a blacklist of ten items, which account for 70 percent of all plastic waste in European seas. It includes foam cups, plates, spoons and forks, cocktail straws, trays and a number of other products.
As Spiegel Online noted, the EU produces 26 million tons of plastic waste annually, but less than 30 percent of them is recycled.
