EU Single-Use Plastics Directive

The EU Single-Use Plastics Directive is a legislative initiative aimed at reducing the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, particularly those that are frequently found littered in oceans and waterways. Adopted in 2019, the directive targets a range of single-use plastic items, including straws, cutlery, plates, cotton buds, and certain types of packaging.

Key provisions of the directive include:
• Ban on Certain Products: The directive bans the sale and use of certain single-use plastic products where alternatives are readily available and affordable. This includes items like cotton buds, cutlery, plates, straws, stirrers, and certain types of food containers and beverage cups.
• Extended Producer Responsibility: Producers are held financially responsible for the costs of waste management and clean-up efforts for certain single-use plastic products. This is intended to incentivise producers to design more sustainable products and packaging and to contribute to the costs of managing the waste they generate. Product Design Requirements: Certain single-use plastic products must be designed to be more easily recyclable, including beverage bottles and caps. Additionally, packaging for certain products must be marked with a standardised label indicating how the product should be disposed of and the negative environmental impacts of littering.
• Collection Targets: EU member states are required to collect 90% of single-use plastic beverage bottles by 2029, for example, through measures such as deposit return schemes.
• Public Awareness and Education: The directive includes provisions aimed at raising public awareness about the environmental impact of single-use plastics and encouraging behaviour change to reduce consumption and littering.

The EU Single-Use Plastics Directive represents a significant step towards reducing plastic pollution and transitioning to a more circular economy within the European Union.