The first European plastics strategy ever conceived, adopted by the European Commission, is part of the process of transition to a more circular economy.
“There is a strong economic reason to change the way EU-manufactured goods are designed, produced, used and recycled; by putting us at the forefront of this transition, we will create new investment opportunities and new jobs. According to the new plans, by 2030, all plastic packaging on the EU market will be recyclable, the consumption of disposable plastic items will be reduced and the intentional use of microplastics will be restricted,” he adds.
Europeans generate 25 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, less than 30% of which is collected for recycling. Plastics constitute 85% of the garbage found on beaches around the world. Plastics even reach the lungs and the dinner table of citizens, in the form of microplastics, which hang in the air and are found in water and food, and their implications for health are unknown.
With the new European strategy for plastics, the objective will be to face this problem by the year 2030.
The plastics strategy aims to change the way in which goods manufactured in the European Union are designed, produced, used and recycled.
Very often, due to the current mode of production, use and disposal of plastic objects, the economic benefits of a more circular approach are lost.
Current practices are 'harmful to the environment', so it is intended to protect it 'while laying the foundations of a new plastic economy, in which design and production fully respect the needs of reuse, repair and recycling and, to create more sustainable materials in the long term”, explains the European Commission.
Frans Timmermans, First Vice-President of the Commission and responsible for sustainable development, said: “If we don't change the way we produce and use plastic objects, by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans. We have to stop plastic from continuing to creep into our bodies through the water and food we eat. We have to invest in new, innovative technologies that preserve citizens and the environment, while maintaining the competitiveness of our industry”.
Europe “is in an excellent position to lead this transition. The new approach will bring with it new opportunities for innovation, competitiveness and job creation'.
Together with the Plastics Strategy, the European Commission has adopted the Monitoring Framework, composed of ten key indicators, “which cover all phases of the cycle and will measure progress in the transition to a circular economy at EU and national levels. », stresses the European Commission.
By implementing the new strategy, the European Union will implement, in the long term, "significant prospects for the development of an innovative circular plastics industry worldwide".
Learn more about the strategy's measures and next steps, here
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