As of 3 July 2021, the new rules on disposable plastic, or the Single-Use Plastic (SUP) Directive of the European Union, are in force. This legislation contributes to the reduction of litter on land and in the sea. All countries of the European Union must ensure that the provisions contained in the Directive are implemented. That will certainly be a hell of a job, but it is badly needed!
The share of plastic in our waste has increased enormously in recent years. This is mainly reflected in the large amount of litter that is found daily on land and in the water. European legislation represents a major step in the fight against litter. Of course, it remains important to clean up litter and encourage citizens to dispose of waste properly, but the SUP will ensure that less plastic is used. This can only lead to a decrease in the share of disposable plastic in litter in the coming years. Also, deposit schemes on plastic bottles will certainly contribute to this.
What are we going to notice about sup legislation?
The rules of the SUP legislation apply to specific disposable plastic products that are common in litter and therefore contribute to the plastic soup. Under the directive of all bioplastics and products made entirely or partly of plastic. A number of plastic products that consist entirely or partly of plastic can no longer be sold. Think of disposable plastic plates, cutlery and stirrers and other single-use plastic.
New logo: what does the logo mean and on which products can it be found?
A new logo has been developed with the image of a turtle. This logo will soon be found on all kinds of products that contain plastic, such as disposable cups, wet wipes, diapers and sanitary towels. The logo indicates that the product contains plastic and that it is therefore harmful to nature. The logo means: this product contains plastic, throw it away in the garbage bin.
What can you do yourself to reduce the amount of plastic?
Do you also want to contribute to the reduction of plastic? There are many things you can do yourself. First of all, do not buy disposable plastic products. Are you going to run errands? Bring your own bag and put your fruit and vegetables in reusable bags or paper bags. Bring bread to work or school? Put it in a lunchbox and don’t use plastic bags but paper bags. Do you see a lot of litter somewhere? Start your own clean-up action or join clean-up operations near you to collect waste. You can even pick up litter while exercising: plogging (picking up waste while jogging).
Background information about SUP
- Europa: Single-use plastics (europa.eu)
- Nederland: Nieuwe regels voor wegwerpplastic | Afval | Rijksoverheid.nl
- Duitsland: SINGLE-USE PLASTICS: German Bundesrat backs ban on SUP products / Up to 30,000 t of foamed polystyrene packaging affected | Plasteurope.com
- Belgiё: Veel gestelde vragen rond de SUP-richtlijn – OVAM
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