Plastic is literally engulfing us and poisoning terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Every year, eight million tonnes of plastic pour into the world's oceans, with devastating consequences for the entire food chain. To counter this environmental catastrophe, ingenious ideas such as the machine designed by Boyan Slat are not enough — more radical, shared measures are needed. The European Union is trying to move in this direction, having released the draft directive on reducing plastic pollution presented at the end of May.

Not just straws and cutlery

The European Commission has decided to ban a number of widely used items for which "easily available alternatives" exist and which make up 70 per cent of all marine litter. These include disposable plates and cutlery, straws, cocktail stirrers, cotton buds and balloon sticks; single-use plastic drinks containers will only be allowed on the market if their caps and lids remain attached to the bottle. While some products would be permanently excluded from the European market, others would instead be subject to stricter measures, such as more stringent labelling that mentions the negative effects of plastic waste (thereby raising consumer awareness) and indicates how waste should be disposed of, along with compliance with certain requirements. Member states would also be required to "achieve a significant reduction" in the consumption of such products.

The polluter pays

The directive imposes the principle of extended producer responsibility for the disposal of a range of products. Producers will therefore contribute to covering the costs of waste management and clean-up, and will also receive incentives to develop less polluting alternatives. Member states will in turn be required to ensure that measures are put in place compelling producers to cover disposal costs. One of the EU's stated objectives requires member states to collect 90 per cent of plastic bottles by 2025.

Read also: European Union, all plastic must be recyclable by 2030

How much fishing pollutes

Fishing gear containing plastic, such as nets, accounts for 27 per cent of all waste found at sea. In this case, the Commission envisages that producers of such gear will be required to cover the costs of collecting, transporting and treating the waste.

What will change

The adoption of the directive will bring numerous environmental and economic benefits. The new measures, for example, will prevent the equivalent of 3.4 million tonnes of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere, will avert environmental damage that would cost 22 billion euros by 2030, and will allow consumers to save around 6.5 billion euros.

A new dawn

"We are finally seeing a new dawn when it comes to plastic management," said Margrete Auken, the Danish MEP for Socialistisk Folkeparti who belongs to the European Greens group and who in 2014 championed the directive to limit the use of single-use plastic bags. "There has never been an adequate holistic approach to the production, consumption and disposal of plastic, and the consequences are plain to see. The proposal to ban single-use products such as straws and cutlery is welcome, as are the reduction targets for food containers and plastic cups. What is missing is action against the hazardous chemicals present in many plastic products."