A significant event happened in European Union (EU) around single-use plastics that could encourage other governments around the globe to also commit to reducing the amount of single-use plastics that end up in landfills, waterways, and oceans.
In October 2018, the EU voted on the proposal that was overwhelmingly backed by the European Parliament.
On this Wednesday the European parliament voted to support plans for the elimination of most uses of single-use plastic, ranging from cutlery and straws to coffee stirrers and plastic plates.
EU lawmakers voted 571 to 53 in favor of a complete ban on 10 single-use plastics including straws, cutlery, and coffee stirrers. This adds the EU to the growing list of governments committed to helping the world address its plastic waste problem.
This week’s vote could lead to EU member states implementing a ban by 2021.
This isn’t the final stop on the road to a plastics ban in Europe. The member states of the EU still need to approve it, some have already voiced concerns that a ban on single-use plastics will be too difficult to implement.
Difficult, maybe. But not impossible.
Reference- Reuters, Futurism, News European Parliament website