The European Plastics Processing Association has called on the EU to delay the single-use plastics directive
The use of clean and hygienic disposable plastic packaging and containers has increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier, many states in the United States have delayed the ban on single-use plastics under the appeal of all parties . This time, the European Plastics Processing Association has also acted.
The European Plastics Converters (EuPC) has sent an open letter to the EU Commission calling for a postponement of the single-use plastics directive. The Single-use plastic ban proposal was submitted by the European Commissioners in >2018>5 as part of the European Plastics Strategy. 2019 3 27 The European Parliament voted overwhelmingly to approve the ban, Agreed to a widespread ban on single-use plastic products from 2021 to control plastic waste pollution.
According to its goal, from 2021, the EU will ban the production and sale of disposable plastic products such as disposable tableware, cotton swabs and straws, and replace with paper, straw or reusable hard plastics. By the year of 2025, the recycling rate of plastic bottles will reach 90% above.
The letter, originally published on the European Plastics Processing Association's website, begins by saying: "From the outset, the single-use plastics Directive has proved to be a very difficult piece of legislation to follow and implement at both a commercial and national level.
"The European Plastics Processing Association believes that the directive is based more on "political" motives than substance: "The European Commission has not considered the health consequences of banning or reducing single-use plastics, It is important to know that human beings, whether in the future, need to put good sanitation and health first.
The European Plastics Processing Association said that the facts have proved that many politicians' attacks on plastics are unreasonable, and now it is time for everyone to work together to rebuild the economy and safeguard consumer health, while promoting the development of a circular economy of plastic . "
At the end of the letter, the European Plastics Processing Association asked the European Commission to postpone the single-use plastics directive for at least one more year and lift all bans on certain single-use plastic products.
The European Plastics Processing Association said that delaying the directive would allow the industry to produce single-use plastic products in response to the outbreak.