In the European Union, by 2021, they plan to ban the production of ten plastic products, to which there is an alternative. Of the 658 members of the European Parliament, this proposal was supported by more than 570.

Disposable tableware, drinking straws, sticks for balloons and cotton swabs will be banned.

The measures are designed to protect the global ocean from pollution. According to the lawmakers, 70% of the garbage in it is plastic.

“It disfigures our beaches, harms the oceans, kills animals, gets into the stomachs of fish and kills them. And as a result, plastic gets into our organisms. It harms the health of people. In Europe, there are inexpensive alternatives to these products, so we simply change the situation, ”- MEP, Frederick Ries.

Also, by 2025, manufacturers will be obliged to recycle 90% of plastic bottles. Currently, 25 million tons of plastic waste is discharged annually in the European Union. Recycle only a quarter.

In addition, the European Parliament plans by 2025 to reduce the production of plastic containers for food, which is not yet a replacement. They also want to reduce the use of plastic bags by 20%.

According to the authorities of the European Union, all these measures will be beneficial for the environment. Thanks to them, the volume of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere will decrease by three and a half million tons.

New rules will be able to enter only after successful negotiations with the governments of EU member states. They can be delayed for several years, because not everyone is ready to abandon the production of plastic.