June 2018

DID YOU KNOW?

The EU has developed its strategy for design and reusability of plastics (COM 2018/28 final) to help achieve its target of only having reusable and recyclable plastic products in the EU by 2030.

EDC News: EU’s Fight against Plastic

Analysis (2016) of the waste management in the EU showed that 25% of municipal waste generated in the EU is landfill and only 47% of the waste is recycled or composted (Municipal waste by waste operations (table: env_wasmun)). Landfill waste has proven to be the least favourable option in waste management as the majority of objects are made from materials difficult to decompose and large quantities end up in the world’s oceans. For instance, in 2016, 27.1 million tonnes of plastic waste was collected, of which 27.3% was landfill waste. Evidence showed that 150 million tonnes of plastics has amassed in oceans around the world, where between 4.6-12.7 million tonnes is added yearly. If this continues it is expected that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish.

The European Commission has recognised the need for implementing sustainable actions to counteract the increase and misuse of plastic, which causes serious economic and environmental threats to the EU. It has addressed this problem by developing a Strategy for Plastic in a Circular Economy with the objective of ensuring that subsequent plastic products produced in the EU are designed sustainably to enhance the rate of reuse and recycling. Furthermore, as single use plastic constitutes to approximately ½ of the marine litter, the European Commission has submitted a proposal (COM 2018/340 final) aimed at the prevention and reduction of plastic marine litter; focusing on single use plastic items and fishing gear containing plastic.

The implementation of these strategies will encourage change in the learnt behaviour of individuals in their use and disposal of plastic by encouraging reuse and moving away from single use plastic objects; encouraging the plastic industry to use eco-friendly and biodegradable materials; and reduce the need for imported fossil fuel and cut CO2 emissions. The realisation of these strategies depends on having an appropriate infrastructure in place, e.g. sorting and recycling equipment, technologies, creating viable markets for recycled and renewable plastics, and clearer obligations for national authorities. Once the infrastructure is in place the EU will see additional benefits of increase in job opportunities and competitiveness in EU industry.

For more information:

• Overview of the European strategy for plastics, European Union Directorate General of Environment

• EU Environment Action Programme 2020, European Commission Directorate General of Environment

• Implementation of the Circular Economy Action Plan, European Commission Directorate General of Environment

• Study on waste management in the EU; towards a circular economy (September 2017), European Parliament

• Contaminants in Seafood (including sources & measures that can be taken to reduce them), European Commission Directorate General of Environment

• Analysis of European plastic productions, demand and waste data, European Association of Plastic Manufacturers 2017

• Study aimed at helping the European Commission develop measures & reduction targets to combat marine litter, EUNOMIA 2016 (for European Commission Directorate General of Environment)

• Factsheets on plastic pollution and 7th Environment Action Programme, European Commission

• Legislation and other relevant legal documents

  • EU Circular Economy action plan (COM 2015/614 final)

  • Green Paper on a European Strategy on plastic waste in the Environment (COM 2013/123 final)

  • 2020 Environment Action Programme; Living well within the limits of our planet (Decision 2013/1386)

  • Directive 2008/56 establishing a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy (Marine Strategy Framework Directive)

  • Directive 2015/720 on reducing consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags in the EU amending Directive 94/62/EC; example the Cypriot’s national measure based on Directive 2015/720

• Statistics

  • Packaging waste by waste operations and waste flow (plastic packaging 1997 – 2015 (table: env_waspac)), Eurostat

• Official EU institution publications

  • Environment for Europeans

  • A European strategy for plastics in the circular economy local and regional dimension

  • Study on the impact of the use of "oxo-degradable" plastic on the environment (supplementary)

  • Identifying sources of marine litter

  • Harm caused by marine litter

  • EU action to combat marine litter

  • Sustainable blue economy; productive seas and oceans

• Press Releases

  • Plastic Waste: a European strategy to protect the planet, defend our citizens and empower our industries (16 January 2018)

  • Circular Economy: New rules will make EU the global front-runner in waste management and recycling (22 May 2018)

  • A Circular Future with Plastics (25 May 2018)

  • Single-use plastics: new EU rules to reduce marine litter (28 May 2018)