Following the ban on single-use plastics, the EU aims to eliminate plastic packaging and reduce the use of products that release microplastics
La European Commission is ready to ban plastic packaging and is examining possible regulations with the aim of reducing plastic waste and environmental contamination by microplastics. This was revealed by Virginijus Sinkevicius, new commissioner for the environment and oceans of the von der Leyen commission, in an interview with the German newspaper Die Welt.
“We definitely want to broaden the rules for single-use plastics and are currently investigating in which direction that would be possible.
An important step would be, for example, ban plastic packaging or prescribe the use of recycled plastics, ”Sinkevicius said.
According to the European Commission, more than 80% of marine litter is made up of plastic which, due to its slow decomposition, accumulates in the environment, threatening wildlife.
Animals, in addition to being trapped and killed in the waste, ingest pieces of plastic which then end up in the food chain and, consequently, on our plates.
Precisely to protect the health of the environment, fauna and of course ours, the European Union has decided to ban crockery, cotton buds, balloons and other disposable plastic items starting from 2021, and now it could also ban packaging. of plastic, requiring the use of more sustainable solutions.
The European Commission is also looking into other possible regulations to reduce plastic pollution, from the tax on plastic waste to regulations that may contain the release of microplastics, forcing companies to find alternatives to drastically reduce the potential for release of pollutant particles from cosmetics, tires and other products.
Microplastics are released from countless products and, like plastics, accumulate in soil and water, damaging ecosystems and exposing the population to health risks.
According to Sinkevičius, the EU will provide a very detailed list of all products that contain microplastics or made with microplastics by the end of this year.
In the coming months, the European Union could therefore take steps to eliminate the use of plastic for packaging and to reduce environmental contamination from microplastics.
In the meantime, we all can already do a lot for limit plastic pollution, for example by choosing to buy bulk food and hygiene products without packaging with reduced, recyclable or compostable packaging.
As for microplastics, on the other hand, we can for example pay attention to cosmetics and clothing by opting for products made with natural raw materials.
These are small gestures, but every little action taken by many people can make a difference.
Read also:
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- Water, beer and salt: the list of foods with the most microplastics
- Scampi and prawns from Sardinia heavily contaminated by microplastics. I study
- Animals suffocated by plastic: the shock campaign on the effects of pollution
- In the Mariana trench all the animals analyzed, even the smallest ones, have plastic inside
