Starting from July 3, 2021,
The European plastic ban has officially been implemented!
The store prohibits the sale of such items that may use non plastic alternatives!
Before 2015, EU member states used over 100 billion plastic bags annually, of which 8 billion were discarded into the sea, causing serious pollution to the environment. According to the EU's estimate, by 2030, the environmental damage caused by plastic waste in Europe could reach 22 billion euros.
Therefore, in May 2018, the European Commission first proposed the "strictest plastic limit order". According to the proposal, the 10 most common disposable plastic products on European beaches will be banned from use in 2021.
Which specific plastic products will be banned?
Disposable plastic tableware (forks, knives, spoons, and chopsticks), disposable plastic plates, plastic straws, plastic cotton swabs, plastic stirrers, plastic balloon sticks, plastic food and beverage containers made of EPS (expanded polystyrene), oxidized biodegradable plastics, food storage trays, and expanded polystyrene cups, etc.
It should be noted that although the EU's measures this time are very strict, they mainly target disposable plastic products, and not all plastic products are banned. Bottles, takeaway boxes, packaging, wrapping paper, cigarette filters, hygiene products, and wet wipes can still be sold, but manufacturers must pay additional cleaning fees and inform their consumers of the environmental impact of the product.
There are still some plastic products that do not need to be immediately discontinued but will be gradually phased out. It refers to products that do not yet have non plastic alternatives, such as tea cups, water cups, food containers, plastic coated paper cups, etc.
What impact will this plastic ban have?
This restriction mainly applies to manufacturers and distributors of disposable plastic products, retailers of disposable plastic products, the catering industry (takeaway and delivery), fishing gear manufacturers, manufacturers and distributors of oxidative degradable plastics, and plastic wholesalers. Therefore, multiple industries such as industry, food packaging, catering, service, and entertainment will be affected, and the circular economy model will be greatly developed.
European sellers can check if they are involved in the customs clearance of the above-mentioned products. If so, please avoid it in advance and adjust the shipping plan in a timely manner. If there is an unavoidable need to find another way out, relevant alternatives can be used.