Today, 12th June 2019, the Directive which restricts the use of certain plastic products has been published. The long-awaited publication is called DIRECTIVE (EU) 2019/904, on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment.
Down below, we expose the culminant reasons that inspired the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union to compose the Directive commented.
1. United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal 12: The Directive will promote circular approaches giving priority to sustainable and non-toxic re-usable products and re-use systems rather than to single-use products, aiming first and foremost to reduce the quantity of waste generated.
2. UN Sustainable Development Goal 14: key for this goal is reducing marine litter recognized as a growing global problem. Thus, the European Union (EU) wants to prevent and tackle marine litter and aim to be a standard setter for the world.
3. In the beaches of the EU plastic represents 80 to 85 % of marine litter, with single-use plastic items representing 50 % and fishing-related items representing 27 % of the total. That is the reason why the Directive will focus on these plastics, which we will see accurately later.
4. Terrestrial pollution and contamination of soil by larger items of plastic and resulting fragments or microplastics can be significant and such plastic can leak into the marine environment.
5. As the society grows and given the current domestic habits, most of single-use plastic products is expected to increase, for which suitable and more sustainable alternatives are not yet readily available.
6. The second most found single-use plastic items on beaches in the Union are tobacco product filters containing plastic. It is a must to reduce the huge environmental impact caused by post-consumption waste of tobacco products, which are discarded directly into the environment.
7. Most of single-use plastic products is thrown into the environment because of an improper disposal.
All of these points have driven to the writing of this Directive, which have as goal “prevent and reduce the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, in particular the aquatic environment, and on human health, as well as to promote the transition to a circular economy with innovative and sustainable business models.”
This Directive applies to the single-use plastic products listed in the single Annex, to products made from oxo-degradable plastic and to fishing gear containing plastic.
Let’s see block by block the plastics given in the annex and to which measurements are faced by.
By 3 July 2021, Member States shall prepare a description of the necessary measures to achieve an ambitious and sustained reduction in the consumption of the single-use plastic products listed below:
1. Cups for beverages (covers and lids included)
2. Food containers, i.e. receptacles such as boxes, with or without a cover, used to contain food, such as food containers used for fast food.
The placing on the market of products made from oxo-degradable plastic and of the articles below will be prohibited:
1. Cotton bud sticks.
2. Cutlery, plates, straws, chopsticks and beverage stirrers.
3. Sticks to be attached to and to support balloons.
4. Expanded polystyrene used in food and beverage containers, i.e. receptacles such as boxes or cups, with or without a cover or lid, used to contain food or beverage, such as food containers used for fast food.
The following items may be placed on the market only if the caps and lids remain attached to the containers:
1. Beverage containers with a capacity of up to three liters, including their caps and lids.
The following items must bear clearly legible and indelible marking on its packaging or on the product itself informing consumers of appropriate waste management options for the product or waste disposal means to be avoided for that product and of the presence of plastics in the product and the resulting negative impact of littering of the product on the environment.
1. Sanitary towels (pads), tampons and tampon applicators.
2. Wet wipes.
3. Tobacco products with filters and filters.
4. Cups for beverages.
Producers of the following items will cover the costs pursuant to the extended producer responsibility, exposed in Directives 2008/98/EC and 94/62/EC:
1. Food containers, i.e. receptacles such as boxes, with or without a cover, used to contain food, such as food containers used for fast food.
2. Packets and wrappers made from flexible material containing food that is intended for immediate consumption from the packet or wrapper without any further preparation.
3. Beverage containers with a capacity of up to three liters, including their caps and lids.
4. Cups for beverages, including their caps and lids.
5. Lightweight plastic carrier bags.
Producers of the following items will cover the costs of awareness raising measures, of waste collection and of cleaning up litter resulting from those products:
1. Wet wipes.
2. Balloons.
Producers of the following items will cover the costs of awareness raising measures, waste collection and cleaning up litter resulting from those products, in addition to the costs of the infrastructures of public waste collection systems and its operation, and the subsequent transport and treatment of that waste and the appropriate waste receptacles for them:
1. Tobacco products with filters and filters.
For the following containers the separate collection for recycling must be ensured. Besides, when such containers are manufactured from PET (polyethylene terephthalate), shall contain at least 25 % recycled plastic. For those which are not manufactured from PET, the minimum percentage of recycled plastic shall be 30 %.
1. Beverage containers with a capacity of up to three liters, including their caps and lids.
Member States shall take measures to inform consumers on the availability of re-usable alternatives and to incentivize responsible consumer behavior of the following items:
1. Food containers, i.e. receptacles such as boxes, with or without a cover, used to contain food, such as food containers used for fast food.
2. Packets and wrappers made from flexible material containing food that is intended for immediate consumption from the packet or wrapper without any further preparation.
3. Beverage containers with a capacity of up to three liters, including their caps and lids.
4. Cups for beverages, including their caps and lids.
5. Tobacco products with filters and filters.
6. Wet wipes.
7. Balloons.
8. Lightweight plastic carrier bags
9. Sanitary towels (pads), tampons and tampon applicators
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