About: single-use plastics
Sinkevicius: COVID-19 cannot be an excuse to curb EU’s green ambition
Member states cannot use the COVID-crisis as an excuse to weaken the EU's environmentral and health protection efforts, European Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius told EURACTIV Italy in an exclusive interview.
EU dismisses industry calls to lift ban on single-use plastics
Deadlines have to be respected, says the European Commission in response to calls by industry to lift an EU-wide ban on some single-use plastic items because of health and hygiene concerns raised during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Europe must resist attempts to weaken single-use plastics laws
The EU's recently agreed laws to tackle the most polluting single-use plastics are in danger of being watered down by industry players, writes Delphine Lévi Alvarès.
Sinkevicius: EU aims to ensure viable food packaging recycling by 2030
The Circular Economy Action Plan and the Farm to Fork strategy (F2F) have the same overarching objective of reducing unsustainable resource use by promoting sustainable production and consumption and reducing waste generation, Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius told EURACTIV.
Banning single-use plastics in France by 2040 is far too late, environmentalists say
The French National Assembly has voted to ban all disposable plastics by... 2040, which would be far too late for many environmental advocates. EURACTIV France reports.
Italy’s plastic tax proposal angers ‘packaging valley’ before crucial regional vote
The government is open to rediscuss a proposed tax on single-use plastics, out of concern for the country's world-leading packaging sector based in Emilia-Romagna where regional elections are scheduled in January.
Trees for goals: the teenager playing to end deforestation
Lesein, a 15-year-old Kenyan, is one of the thousands of youngsters around the globe who have joined Greta Thunberg in her fight against climate change. He has been planting trees for every goal he scores since 2018, as his way of contributing to the fight.
Fans back call for phasing out single-use plastics from UK stadiums
A survey conducted by YouGov shows football fans support for environmental NGOs' call to clubs in the UK top four divisions to eliminate single-use plastics from their stadiums.
How Europe’s war on plastics is affecting petrochemicals
With oil use in cars expected to peak in the mid-2020s, oil companies are seeking shelter in petrochemicals – and plastics – where demand is still going strong. However, even that notion is now being challenged because of a global plastics backlash led by Europe.
France dumps 11,200 tonnes of plastic in the Mediterranean every year
600,000 tonnes of plastic are being dumped by 22 countries in the Mediterranean Sea every year, of which 11,200 tonnes come from France. EURACTIV's partner La Tribune reports.
How can EU members make good on new single-use plastics law?
The European Parliament and the Council gave their official green light to the Single-use Plastics Directive on Tuesday morning (21 May). Larissa Copello de Souza explains how the implementation period is a golden opportunity to raise the bar even further.
British football clubs want to lead the way in reducing single-use plastics
Football can bring joy or frustration to supporters... but also a lot of waste. UK football teams have decided to introduce reusable cups in stadiums, as part of a joint initiative by the Premier League and British TV channel Sky News.
Circular economy must remain a priority for Europe beyond the 2019 elections
The Circular Economy Package and Plastics Strategy have set a high-level framework to improve the resource efficiency of the European economy. But to be effective, this framework must remain a policy priority for the next European Commission and Parliament, writes Nick Molho.
Crunch time for crisp makers as EU waste targets loom
The European Commission has set an EU-wide objective for all packaging to be recyclable or reusable by 2030. But crisp packets are a particular headache for policymakers and the recycling industry because they are so tiny and lightweight.
New Caledonia bans disposable plastics
On 27 December, the Congress of New Caledonia voted to do away with most single-use plastic objects by 2020. EURACTIV France’s media partner the Journal de l’environnement reports.
EU nails rapid-fire deal on single-use plastics
Negotiators of the European Parliament, Council and Commission struck a provisional agreement early Wednesday morning (19 December) on banning single-use plastic products like cutlery and food containers, in what is one of the most quickly finalised proposals in recent EU memory.
Injecting responsibility into recycling
Collecting and recycling waste is more important than ever, since EU targets ask more and more from member states. But national capitals face a dilemma about how best to recycle more, as two distinct schemes offer two very different solutions.
MEPs crank up crusade against single-use plastics
MEPs moved on Wednesday (24 October) to ban widely-used, throw-away plastics such as straws, bags and cotton buds, putting the burden on manufacturers to recycle more in an effort to clear up ocean pollution.
Drinks giants rail against EU bottle cap plan
Multinationals Coca Cola, Danone, Nestlé and PepsiCo want to improve existing recycling systems rather than invest in new bottle designs with attached caps, which is the EU’s preferred way of curbing plastic waste.
Banned plastics: European Parliament’s list grows longer
MEPs in the environment committee are extending the ban on single-use plastics. They are also targeting takeaway packaging, bottles and cigarette butts. EURACTIV France’s media partner, the Journal de l’environnement reports.
Time to shift responsibility on plastics
Plastic pollution is increasingly in the spotlight but Europe could learn a thing or two from one of the cities leading the charge to curb unnecessary waste, writes the governing mayor of Oslo.
Time to banish wet wipes from our sewers
Plastics in our sewer system costs consumers money and the European water sector has its daily challenges, one of them being sewers getting clogged regularly by plastics and wet wipes, explain Oliver Loebel and Maxime Bineau.
MEPs vote to turn ‘plastic wastelands into fields of gold’
European lawmakers overwhelmingly backed an advisory report on the EU’s landmark plastics strategy on Thursday (13 September). It calls on the European Commission to ban certain types of micro-plastics by 2020.