On Wednesday the EU Parliament voted to ban
single-use plastic products such as the straws, cutlery and cotton buds that are clogging the world's oceans.
The ban will take effect in 2021.
Product categories banned include: Cutlery, plates, straws, polystyrene food and drink containers, cotton swabs with plastic stems, and plastic grocery bags. Additionally,
Rules insisting that polluters pay the costs of a clean-up are strengthened, particularly for cigarette manufacturers, who will have to support the recycling of discarded filters.
According to the EU Commission, the waste caused by these products poses a threat to wildlife and fisheries.
No word on disposable diapers.
(Score: 2) by bradley13 on Thursday March 28 2019, @07:26PM
Good point, how does it wind up in the ocean?
At the same time, keep in mind that ND that over 90% of the plastic enters the ocean from Asia and Africa. The West is only a small contributor.
We should still do what we can, of course, and changing products here will have a knock-on effect elsewhere.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.