Over 28 million tons of plastic waste is produced annually in the European Union. Less than 30% of this amount is recycled, while the rest is burnt or deposited in landfills. The recycling potential is still unused in Europe and most of the collected plastic waste is exported.
Today, you've bought groceries for lunch. You bought bread, three apples, two oranges, leek, a bottle of water, strawberry juice and a kilo of cheese. It is very likely that you have gotten several plastic bags and disposable packagings in the market. Do you know where this plastic material ends up?
We use plastic on a daily basis for various purposes: from clothing, footwear, dishes, to cosmetics and car parts. Plastic is a great material that is easily produced, flexible and light-weight. It is very resistant, which practically means that every piece of plastic ever produced still exists on the planet in some form. Such features, combined with irresponsible plastic flow management have led to the emergence of one of the biggest environmental problems we are facing today - plastic waste has covered the planet.
New European Strategy
The first European Union strategy on plastics came to light in Strasbourg in January 2018. The EU adopted the Circular Economy Action Plan in 2015, and the Strategy for Plastics is a continuation of this policy, aimed at regulating production flows, use and disposal of plastics, as well as to encourage the transition towards circular economy. A number of measures have been prescribed to ensure success of the Strategy.
Over 28 million tons of plastic waste is produced annually in the European Union. Less than 30% of this amount is recycled, while the rest is burnt or deposited in landfills. Analyzes show that such landfill depositing and burning leads to 70 to 105 billion euros of economic loses, due to a short lifecycle of plastic products. With most of the collected plastic waste being exported, the recycling potential of Europe is yet to be used.
What will the new Strategy bring to the Europeans? The vision of the European economy is set, in which the plastics industry is smart and sustainable, it stimulates the economic development, opens up new economy sectors and brings investment opportunities and new jobs. At the same time, industry contributes to reducing CO₂emissions, dependence on imported fossil fuels and the pollution of the environment. Citizens and the European Union's economic sector are encouraging responsible behavior and conducting of business of all other stakeholders in the plastic production, usage and management. New plans set the goal for all plastic packaging on the EU market to be suitable for recycling by 2030, to reduce the single-use plastic consumption and to limit the planned use of micro plastics.
How to reach the goal?
In order to achieve this vision, the EU has foreseen four basic directions of action. The first is to improve cost-effectiveness and quality of plastic recycling process. For example, it’s planned to introduce standards and other measures that will encourage the manufacturers of plastic products to incorporate the possibility of recycling into the design of plastic products. Research suggests that these measures could cut in half the costs of recycling packaging waste. The goal is to ensure re-usability or recycling of all plastic packaging placed on the EU market by 2030. In order to ensure an increase in demand for recycled plastic products, the Commission is launching, among other things, a campaign aimed at incorporating 10 million tons of recycled plastics into new products by 2025 at the EU level. A set of measures made to improve separate collection and classification of plastic waste (such as economic instruments, refund mechanisms etc.).
Furthermore, the second line of action is dedicated to reducing the production of plastic waste and its disposal into the environment. Recent research has shown that small plastic molecules are found in food and drinking water of almost all countries, including the most developed ones. The EU has already implemented a number of measures [1] to reduce the use of plastic bags and reduce the amount of plastic waste which end up in seas and oceans. Additional measures will focus on disposable plastic products and introduction of widened producer responsibility. The use of biodegradable plastics will reduce the amount of plastic waste present in the environment. Most of the plastics currently on the market, labeled as biodegradable, have different properties and decomposd under specific conditions that are not always present in nature. The goal is that all plastics are properly labeled so that consumers can have complete information about its properties and proper handling after use.
In addition, there will be incentives for innovation and investment in solutions leading to a circular economy. Innovative solutions for the separation of plastics, the development of innovative business models, the development of smart plastic materials and fully biodegradable plastic materials, as well as other innovations, represent the key to achieving the goals of the Strategy. They can significantly reduce recycling costs, improve material properties and efficiency of the recycling process and start completely new industries. The EU is planning financial incentives to continue research and innovation, as well as 100 million euros for the period until 2020.
Finally, as the fourth direction of action, the influence on global activities is highlighted. Managing plastic waste flows requires a global approach, since it is traded internationally and the fact that plastic waste from one part of the world can easily reach, through the sea and the ocean, the farthest parts of the planet. Half of the collected plastic waste in the EU is currently exported abroad, and it is not known with certainty how this waste is then processed. The EU will continue with already activated activities [2] at the international level, and promotion of best practices and financing of waste management improvement beyond the EU borders is planned.
With the measures that this new Strategy plans, the EU has chosen to tackle problems of using plastic, throughout its entire life-cycle. An ambitious vision provides a clear strategic direction for development that encourages economy, innovation, opens new jobs and at the same time provides cleaner and healthier environments.
By: Mirjana Jovanović
Photo source: Canva
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[1] Directive 2015/720 / EU amending Directive 94/62 / EC in regards to the reduction of consumption of thin plastic bags and 37 Directive 2008/56 / EC on establishing a framework for the operation of the EU in the field of marine ecosystem policy
[2] International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL Convention), OSPAR Convention (Northeast Atlantic), HELCOM Convention (Baltic Sea) and the Barcelona Convention (Mediterranean)