On January 1, 2020, the ban on the use of disposable plastic tableware was officially implemented in France’s “Energy Transformation to Promote Green Growth Law”, making France the first country in the world to ban the use of disposable plastic tableware.
Disposable plastic products are widely used and have low recycling rates, causing serious pollution to both the soil and marine environments. At present, “plastic restriction” has become a global consensus, and multiple countries and regions have taken action in the field of plastic restriction and prohibition. This article will take you through the policies and achievements of countries around the world in restricting the use of disposable plastic products.
The European Union issued a plastic restriction directive in 2015, aiming to reduce the consumption of plastic bags per person in EU countries to no more than 90 per year by the end of 2019. By 2025, this number will be reduced to 40. After the directive was issued, all member states embarked on the path of “plastic restriction”.
In 2018, the European Parliament passed another law on controlling plastic waste. According to the law, starting from 2021, the European Union will completely prohibit member states from using 10 types of disposable plastic products such as drinking pipes, tableware, and cotton swabs, which will be replaced by paper, straw, or reusable hard plastic. Plastic bottles will be collected separately according to the existing recycling mode; By 2025, member countries are required to achieve a recycling rate of 90% for disposable plastic bottles. At the same time, the bill also requires manufacturers to take greater responsibility for the situation of their plastic products and packaging.
British Prime Minister Theresa May has announced that she will spare no effort to implement a comprehensive ban on plastic products. In addition to imposing various plastic product taxes and increasing research and development of alternative materials, she also plans to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste, including plastic bags, beverage bottles, straws, and most food packaging bags, by 2042.
Africa is one of the regions with the largest global ban on plastic production. The rapid growth of plastic waste has brought enormous environmental and economic and social problems to Africa, posing a threat to people’s health and safety.
As of June 2019, 34 out of 55 African countries have issued relevant laws prohibiting the use of disposable plastic packaging bags or imposing taxes on them.
Due to the epidemic, these cities have postponed the ban on plastic production
South Africa has launched the most severe “plastic ban”, but some cities need to suspend or delay the implementation of the plastic ban because of the surge in demand for plastic bags during the COVID-19 epidemic.
For example, the mayor of Boston in the United States issued an administrative order temporarily exempting all places from the ban on the use of plastic bags until September 30th. Boston initially suspended a 5-cent fee on each plastic and paper bag in March to help residents and businesses cope with the epidemic. Although the ban has been extended until the end of September, the city says it is ready to implement the plastic bag ban from October 1st
Post time: Apr-28-2023
