The Single Use Plastics legislation 2021

Posted September 9, 2022

Plastic litter has been a major problem for years, both in the Netherlands and in the rest of Europe. Disposable plastic often ends up in nature or the oceans, where it can cause major problems. To protect the environment, the EU wants to significantly reduce the use of disposable plastic in the coming years. Therefore, as of 2021, new rules are in place regarding the use and production of disposable plastic. Of course, we are happy to work on this! Therefore, in this article you will not only read about the new rules regarding plastic disposable products, but also how Disposables.Shop applies these rules.

Why Single Use Plastics legislation is so important

The amount of disposable plastic left behind in nature increases dramatically every year. Scientific studies in 2021 showed that there are currently more than 150 million tons of plastic
floats in our oceans. This has terrible consequences for both the quality of seawater, and the marine animals that live in the ocean. The same goes for the amount of plastic found in natural areas and forests. Animals can get very sick when they eat the plastic scraps. To avoid these problems, it is important to take action now. The Single Use Plastics legislation should ensure that less plastic is wasted, so that we can save Europe’s natural areas and wildlife.

The rules regarding disposable plastic

The new legislation consists of several rules designed to ensure that the amount of disposable plastic is reduced as much as possible. Below, we have briefly summarized the rules for you:

As of July 3, 2021, there is a general ban on the sale of certain disposable plastic items . These include straws, cotton buds, disposable cutlery, and more.
stirrers.
You can still use old supplies, but after that you’ll have to look for an alternative (check out, for example
our straws here
.)

In addition to the ban on single use plastics, there will be marking requirements for
drinking cups
of plastic and plastic-coated cardboard. All drinking cups shall be marked as follows. Again, there is no distinction between bioplastic cups and bioplastic-coated cups; the legislation applies to both products.

As of July 1, 2021, there is a deposit of €0.15 cents on plastic bottles up to 1 liter. Of course, larger bottles have had a deposit on them for much longer.

All disposable plastic products must be marked with a logo. This logo should clearly state that the product contains plastic. This should ensure that the customer knows how to deposit the package.

In addition to the rules that already took effect in 2021, there are additional measures that will apply starting in 2023. For example, producers of plastic products will have to pay extra for cleaning up litter. In addition, caps should be attached to the plastic bottles so that customers can more easily return them for recycling. And starting in 2025, PET bottles will consist of at least 25% recycled plastic. Read more here about the
legislation as of 2023 and 2024
.

Disposables.Shop and the Single Use Plastics legislation

We like to do our part to make the world a better place. When you buy your disposables from us, you are assured of products that comply with all European directives. For example, we have replaced products that are now banned (such as plastic straws) with paper versions. Of course, we will ensure that these new products have the quality you have come to expect from us.

Want to know more about this legislation? Take
then contact us
at.