The "Anti-single-use plastics" regulation adopted by the European Council on May 21, 2019 will be officially implemented from July 3 this year. The purpose of the regulation is to reduce the use of plastic products, such as disposable cutlery, dishes, and dishes. and so on, in order to reduce environmental pollution.
Europe generates about 25.8 million tons of plastic waste every year, of which less than 30% is collected or recycled, and the remaining plastic waste is accumulating more and more in our living environment. The impact of plastic waste on our environment, especially single-use items such as bags, straws, coffee cups, beverage bottles and most food packaging, is on the rise.
Before 2015, EU member states used more than 100 billion plastic bags every year, of which 8 billion were thrown into the sea. According to EU estimates, by 2030, the loss of plastic waste to the European environment will reach 22 billion euros.
Which plastic goods will be banned or phased out?
Starting from July 3, plastic products that have other substitutes have been banned, including: cutlery, dinner plates, straws, cotton swabs, polystyrene containers and water cups, balloons and balloon sticks, plastic bags, etc. This change will not only affect many industrial sectors, but also food packaging, catering, service, entertainment and other industries;
Plastic products that do not need to be discontinued immediately, but will be phased out include: products that do not yet have non-plastic substitutes, such as tea cups, drinking cups, food containers, plastic-coated paper cups, etc.;
Commodities that are required by the new regulations to implement special technologies and labels to improve people's awareness of environmental protection and garbage classification will not be eliminated from the market for the time being.
All in all, the new regulations set stricter rules for 10 types of plastic goods and packaging types that pollute European beaches, with the hope of saving the marine environment by changing our living habits.
Due to the European plastic ban, the following single-use plastic products cannot be cleared from July 1, 2021:
Clean ear cotton swabs
Fork, knife, spoon, chopsticks
plate
straw
coffee spoon
balloon stick
packing box
cups, lids
plastic bag
When clearing customs, remember to check if you have the plastic products mentioned above. If so, please avoid them in advance or replace them with substitutes. Currently, biodegradable materials are one of the best alternatives.