Europe’s Awesome Plan to Ban Single-Use Plastics

Following the UK’s recent successes in the ban on single-use plastics, the European Union renewed its waste strategy for 2021. The law orders the categorization of plastic products, reduced consumption and production of plastics, and taxes on plastic packaging. This way, the EU reinforces the responsibility of producers and consumers, and hopes to reinvent the recycling infrastructure at home. 

Plastics: A short history

The word plastic originates from the ancient Greek verb plasso, meaning “to mold.” Since the broad introduction of plastics in our culture, plastic defines materials made of long, repeating molecule chains, called polymers. However, scientists have found natural plastics made from horns and rubber in medieval lantern windows and 3000-years-old Mesoamerican game spheres. In fact, just over the past century, we started making synthetic polymers from the carbon atoms of fossil fuels. The difference between natural and synthetic polymers is that the latter gives longer molecule chains. Therefore, the final product is more reliable, lighter, and more flexible.

In 1869, John Wesley Hyatt created the first synthetic polymer from celluloid. Ironically, at the time, it was widely advertised as the eco-friendly alternative of wild elephant ivory. In 1907, Leo Baekeland invented the first fully synthetic plastic for mass use in US electrics. During WWII, the military realized how versatile and durable plastic could be. Hence, in the 1950s, plastics burst into American life and expanded to the rest of the world in zero time. Plastic was in tights, Christmas trees, and Tupperware, which was a brand, not a word for all food containers. While the planet was getting obsessed with plastic, no one was concerned about the consequences.     

Plastic as an environmental concern

Ocean and sea plastic waste was first studied in the 1960s when environmental awareness in the US rose. Paradoxically, in this decade, global plastic production increased 400%, and by 1979, the world was producing more plastic than steel. Due to the understanding that the plastic industry is a threat to the environment, recycling solutions began to emerge. Nevertheless, up to date, four-fifths of all plastics end up in the seas and other ecosystems where they will remain for thousands of years. Hence, it is logical to see Europe introducing a law that puts a ban on single-use plastics.   

According to experts, by 2050, every seabird species on the planet will have plastic in their digestive system. Thus, the Reuse, Reduce, Recycle action isn’t enough anymore. We must refuse plastics, and strive towards a minimum waste lifestyle to prevent the planet from becoming a desolate wasteland. But denying plastics doesn’t necessarily mean removing technology and lifesaving medicine from our lives. For example, biodegradable bioplastics made from plant crops such as starch can replace plastics from fossil fuels.

Why we don’t recycle plastic

Even though all plastics are effectively recyclable, nations don’t recycle them because it is expensive. In addition, the process itself has an environmental impact, and the new product is of lower quality. Actually, it is surprising to see how many different types of plastic we use in disposable products and packaging. So, one solution would be to limit the types of plastic to a handful of easier recycling types. 

Often, plastics are just one element of mixed materials in the same product. For example, think of a plastic bag with a foil lining or a paper coffee cup with a plastic lining. In this case, the process of separating the materials must precede the recycling process. However, the separation of materials is costly, and for this reason, not a practical option for most communities. Thus, designing packaging that is easier to separate is vital for the future of waste management. 

Until 2018, China was the world’s largest recipient of recyclable materials, taking in about two-thirds of the UK’s plastics. But since China prohibited 24 types of waste from entering the country, western countries even resort to illegal waste dumping. Therefore, sorting our household waste in bins of different colors doesn’t mean that we determine the fate of our waste. A paper in Science Advance reports that from 2015 to 2017, we recycled only 9% of plastic waste. Seventy-nine percent ended up in landfills and the environment. 

Recycling is great, but it’s not enough to solve the excess plastic problem. We should give our waste as much thought as we give our purchases. And, look at the waste we create as something that begins a new life cycle, not far away from us. 

The future of single-use plastics in Greece

In 2019, the European Union Parliament put a ban on single-use plastics and applied more stringent regulations to the polluters. The objective of the legislation is to reduce the impact of plastics on the environment, especially the aquatic environment. Besides, the measures preserve human health and promote the transition to innovation and sustainability in business and economy. 

In Greece, single-use plastics whose consumption will be reduced from 2021

• Cups and their lids
• Food containers and their lids used for the storage or distribution of food for immediate consumption 

In Greece, single-use plastics whose production will be restricted from 2021

• Cotton bud sticks
• Cutlery 
• Dishes
• Straws
• Drink stirrers 
• Balloon sticks
• Expanded polystyrene (translucent) beverage containers and cups and their lids due to the high prevalence of expanded polystyrene waste in the marine environment and given the availability of alternatives
• Oxo-degradable plastics, which aren’t biodegradable or compostable, and contribute to the accumulation of microplastics in the environment

Plastic bottles in the EU

From 2025, plastic bottles made of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) must contain at least 25% of recycled plastic. From 2030, the amount of recycled plastic must be raised to 30%. 

Europe’s agonizing seas and coasts

Between 80 and 85% of human waste that has been released into the European Union’s seas is plastic. Disposable plastic products account for 50% of the total marine litter and fishery products for 27%. Plastic lids rank first among the disposable plastic items most commonly found on beaches, followed by tobacco filters. 

Marine litter crosses borders, and it is therefore recognized as a steadily intensifying global problem. Consequently, it is crucial that EU exports of plastic waste don’t lead to an increase in marine litter elsewhere.

Steps forward in environmental responsibility

Complete and accurate information shared with the public is the key to the reduction of marine debris. Thus, the EU commits to product labeling that will indicate appropriate disposal methods, the percentage of plastics in the product, and facts about the environmental damage caused by its disposal. Also, EU member states will ensure collection processes for efficient recycling of plastic bottles and their caps.       

Besides informing the public, from 2023, EU member states will start exchanging and submitting information to officials. The data will refer to the consumption of disposable plastics within the previous year, separation and recycling processes, and fishing gear waste management. The goal of the new waste strategy is to awaken companies to take responsibility for the plastic packaging they produce. The urge for industries and governments to adapt and order a ban on single-use plastics is real.

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