| I don't know about the US situation, but the recent EU proposal is often ridiculed for being just a "plastic straw ban". Actually the "single-use plastics directive proposal [1]", part of a greater plastic strategy [2], is not only about plastic straws: a) The ban will apply to plastic cotton buds, cutlery, plates, straws, drink stirrers and balloon sticks. These items represent 86% of all single-use plastic items on European beaches, and about half of all plastic marine litter washed up on European beaches. b) Member States will have to reduce the use of plastic food containers and drinks cups. c) Producers will help cover the costs of waste management and clean-up. The industry will also be given incentives to develop less polluting alternatives for these products. d) Member States will be obliged to collect 90% of single-use plastic drinks bottles by 2025. e) Member States will be obliged to raise consumers' awareness about the negative impact of littering of single-use plastics and fishing gear as well as about the available re-use systems and waste management options for all these products. f) Fishing gear is also addressed:
"up to now, ports have been able to charge fishermen for bringing retrieved abandoned, lost or disposed of fishing gear ashore over and above their normal fee. The Commission’s proposal to revise the Port Reception Facilities Directive (COM(2018)33 final) removes this disincentive. However, ports' costs for expanding facilities and running them could find their way back into the port fee; thus increasing the overall cost for fishers.
This is where the Extended Producer Responsibility comes in. Under this scheme, fishing net producers take on the responsibility (and the cost) for managing fishing gear plastic once it is landed. So, this will reduce port costs for fishers, particularly in small fishing ports, and it will accelerate the development of a dedicated waste stream for fishing gear waste. [3]" You could argue that this regulation is not enough. You could argue that the ban should not focus on the most occuring single-use plastics that wash up on European beaches but should focus on the most occurring (micro)plastic-types in the oceans. I would say this is a perfectly fine complementory step in the right direction. [1] https://ec.europa.eu/environment/circular-economy/pdf/single... [2] https://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/plastic_waste.htm [3] https://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/new-proposal-will-tackle-mari... |