On 24 October MEPs voted to ban single-use cutlery, cotton buds, straws and stirrers from 2021. These make up over 70% of marine litter. Euro Coop, a trade body that represents European consumer co-operatives, welcomed the Parliament’s decision.
Other products banned include those made of oxo-degradable plastics, such as bags or packaging and fast-food containers made of expanded polystyrene. Under the draft regulations, the consumption of non-banned plastics for which no alternative exists, such as single-use burger boxes, sandwich boxes or food containers for fruits, vegetables, desserts or ice creams, will also have to be reduced by 25%. Furthermore, beverage bottles will have to be collected separately and recycled at a rate of 90% by 2025.
Measures also cover waste from tobacco products, in particular cigarette filters containing plastic, which would have to be reduced by 50% by 2025 and 80% by 2030. Tobacco companies will be expected to cover the costs of waste collection for those products, including transport, treatment and litter collection.
In addition, members states will also need to ensure that at least 50% of lost or abandoned fishing gear containing plastic is collected per year, with a recycling target of at least 15% by 2025. Fishing gear represents 27% of waste found on Europe’s beaches.
The report, drafted by Frédérique Ries (ALDE, BE), was adopted with 571 votes to 53 and 34 abstentions.
Ms Ries said: “We have adopted the most ambitious legislation against single-use plastics. It is up to us now to stay the course in the upcoming negotiations with the Council [European], due to start as early as November. Today’s vote paves the way to a forthcoming and ambitious directive. It is essential in order to protect the marine environment and reduce the costs of environmental damage attributed to plastic pollution in Europe, estimated at €22bn by 2030.”
Rosita Zilli, deputy secretary general of Euro Coop said European consumer co-operatives were already active in making the shift from a linear to a circular economy become reality.
“Being ethical retailers that operate based on values and principles, consumer co-operatives place sustainability in all of its dimensions – economic, social and environmental – at the core of their action.”
She added that Euro Coop members had already explored what a circular economy means and what it would take to achieve this.
“One of the main conclusions is that the throwaway society in which we currently live has its days numbered and that it is no longer the time to speak about ‘waste’ but of ‘reusable resources’. Being retailers mainly active in the food area, consumer co-operatives members of Euro Coop translated this precept into action to tackle and transform waste and rethink how current production and consumption patterns take place. Against this backdrop, yesterday’s EP vote is certainly a move that supports Euro Coop members’ vision and spirit towards an enhanced global circular economy.”
More information about Euro Coop’s stance on the circular economy is available here.
This article was amended. An earlier version described Euro Coop as the International Co-operative Alliance’s office for European consumer co-operatives. Euro Coop is a sectoral organisation of the Alliance but acts as a separate legal entity.
