The European Parliament Plenary has adopted the Provisional Agreement of 18 December 2018 of the Single Use Plastics Directive (SUP). The Directive has been approved by a large majority of MEPs with 560 in favour, 35 not in favour and 28 abstentions.
Key considerations
- The directive is to ban the sale across the EU by 2021 of single-use plastic cutlery (forks, knives, spoons and chopsticks); single-use plastic plates; plastic straws; plastic beverage stirrers; cotton bud sticks whose stems are plastic; and plastic balloon sticks for domestic rather than commercial use;
- Commission Guidelines on what is to be considered an SUP product will be developed as well as guidelines on clean-up costs; (this means other single use plastics may also be included in the future, lightweight carrier bags maybe?)
- An average of 25% recycled content from 2025 for PET bottles and 30% from 2030 for all beverage bottles;
- By 2029, member states would have to ensure 90% of plastic bottles used in their territories by 2029 are collected for recycling;
- Consumption reduction: no specific reduction target but Member States are to prepare by 1 year before end of transposition a description of all the measures they have adopted and shall notify description to EU Commission and make it publicly available;
- Packets and wrappers have been removed from marking requirements;
- Ban of EPS food containers, beverage containers and cups for beverages remains; ban of products made from oxo-degradable plastic;
- In 2027, after evaluation of progress made, the EU Commissions will submit a report, accompanied by legislative proposal if appropriate.
Next steps
- Final confirmatory vote from the EU Council of Ministers;
This is considered a formality as agreement with EU Council has been already reached as part of trilogue meetings in January 2019;
- Member States will have two years from the formal adoption of the SUP Directive to implement the new rules.
To be further clarified
- The SUP Directive takes precedence over the Packaging & Packaging Waste Directive and the Waste Framework Directive;
Lex specialis status remains – this means that a derogation to Art.18 of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive is possible but only if it aims to prevent the littering of the products;
- Uncertainties remain over the costs of clean-up which fall under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).