European Commission publishes the first-ever Europe-wide strategy on plastics
18 December 2019
The Plastics Strategy is part of the transition to a more circular economy. In a press release on the 16th the commission stated:
'It will protect the environment from plastic pollution whilst fostering growth and innovation, turning a challenge into a positive agenda for the Future of Europe. There is a strong business case for transforming the way products are designed, produced, used, and recycled in the EU and by taking the lead in this transition, we will create new investment opportunities and jobs. Under the new plans, all plastic packaging on the EU market will be recyclable by 2030, the consumption of single-use plastics will be reduced and the intentional use of microplastics will be restricted'
The strategy sets plans to:
- Make recycling profitable for business, including new rules for packaging to imporve recyclability
- Curb plastic waste further by targeting single-use plastics and microplastics
- They aim to ensure plastics and products containing plastics are designed to allow for greater durability, reuse and high-quality recycling. By 2030, all plastics packaging placed on the EU market is either reusable or can be recycled in a cost-effective manner.
- New port rules to prevent waste at sea
- Drive investment and innovation targeting how to minimise the creation of waste at source.
