verpacken-aktuell

As PlasticsEurope announced it supports the overarching objective of the “Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment” presented end of May by the European Commission, namely to reduce marine litter in the seas.

Marine litter is a result of a combination of factors, the most important of which being the lack of implementation of waste-related legislation at national/regional level, the lack of proper waste management in some parts of the world and inappropriate littering behaviour.

To reduce littering, PlasticsEurope call for:

• Appropriate waste management infrastructure. Governments should integrate the issue of marine litter in their national waste management strategies: waste management infrastructure needs to be improved so that all plastic waste is collected and then used as a resource. Landfilling has to be avoided.

• Support for innovation and mindful product design.

• Awareness raising campaigns, which lead to responsible consumption and an understanding that waste is a resource.

According to PlasticsEurope they therefore urge the European Commission to avoid shortcuts – plastic product bans are not the solution and will not achieve the structural change needed to build the foundation for a sustainable and resource efficient economy; as alternative products may not be more sustainable.

kb