A new proposal from the European Union Commission is looking to ban plastic waste items from beaches.
Concerns have been raised in recent times over the sheer volume of plastic pollution in the sea, and measures are now being taken for EU countries to cut back on their waste.
A graphic posted on Twitter today by the EU Commission in Ireland has broken down the items that the EU would like to see kept off Irish beaches and beaches across Europe.
Some items on the list, such as cotton buds and plastic cutlery, plates, straws and stirrers, will be banned entirely and replaced with “sustainable alternatives.” Other products, such as food containers made with plastics, or plastic bottles, will see their usage reduced.
The proposal would compel some “producers to contribute to awareness-raising, clean-up, collection, waste treatment” — this will apply to producers of food containers made with plastics, plastic bottles, cigarettes, plastic bags, crisp packets and fishing gear.
Makers of balloons will be further compelled to introduce “new labelling on the environmental impact of the product and recycling options for consumers.”
Together, these 10 items account for 70% of all marine litter.
The Commission’s proposals will now go to the European Parliament and Council for adoption. The Commission urges the other institutions to treat this as a priority file, and to deliver tangible results for Europeans before the elections in May 2019.
The EU Commission is proposing new EU-wide rules to ban/reduce the 10 single-use plastic products most often found on Europe's beaches and seas: https://t.co/NlnhtUNwH1 #PlasticsStrategy pic.twitter.com/V1k8YwvzJ1
— EU Commission in Ireland (@eurireland) May 28, 2018
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