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EU parliament approves ban on single-use plastics, including straws and cotton buds

The parliament said its ban across the EU targets single-use cutlery, cotton buds, straws and stirrers.

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT has voted overwhelmingly for an EU-wide ban on single-use plastics such as straws, cutlery, cotton buds and balloon sticks.

The European Commission, the 28-nation EU’s executive arm, proposed banning such items that it said account for 70% of the waste in the oceans and beaches.

“Today we are one step closer to eliminating the most problematic single-use plastic products in Europe,” the EU’s environment commissioner Karmenu Vella said.

The European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, voted for the ban on single-use plastic by 571 votes for, 53 against and 34 abstentions.

The legislation which supporters want to take effect by 2021 must still be approved in negotiations involving the member states, parliament and the commission.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said the vote put “the EU on track as a global leader in reducing plastic pollution and pioneering stronger circular economies”. 

However, it said the parliament missed an opportunity to close a legal loophole on the definition of single-use plastics, adding it allows products to be labelled re-usable when they may not be.

The manufacturers associations PlasticsEurope said the measures are “disproportionate,” adding bans discourage investment needed to develop ways to recycle plastics.

Like WWF, it said single-use plastics definitions remain “ambiguous.”

The parliament said its ban across the EU targets single-use cutlery, cotton buds, straws and stirrers, which were on the commission’s original list of 10 items. 

MEPs added polystyrenes used to wrap fast-food and oxo-plastics, such as bags that have been touted as biodegradable but which break up into tiny particles.

The legislation calls for plastic items where no alternatives are available to be reduced by at least 25% by 2025. 

‘Most ambitious legislation’ 

Under the ban, drinks bottles and other plastics will have to be collected separately and recycled at a rate of 90% by 2025.

The legislation calls for reducing waste from tobacco products, especially cigarette filters containing plastic, by 50% by 2025 and 80% by 2030.

Cigarette butts can take up to 12 years to disintegrate when thrown on a road, the parliament said. 

It calls for member states to ensure that tobacco firms cover the costs of waste collection for those products.

The bill calls on member countries to ensure that at least 50% of lost or abandoned fishing gear containing plastic is collected annually.

It calls for recycling at least 15% of fishing gear – which accounts for 27% of the litter on Europe’s beaches – by 2025.

Producers of fishing gear containing plastic will also need to assume the cost of collecting litter and help meet the recycling target.

Frederique Ries, member of the liberal ALDE party, said the bill he steered through parliament is “the most ambitious legislation against single-use plastics.”

He added “it is up to us now to stay the course in the upcoming negotiations with” the EU member states, which could start next month.

He said the legislation is needed to protect the environment and cut damage from plastics that will rise to an estimated 22 billion euros by 2030.

The European Commission has said businesses will benefit from one set of rules for an EU market of around 500 million people.

It said it will encourage EU companies to develop economies of scale and become more competitive in the “booming” global market for sustainable products.

The EU push to crack down on plastic use follows China’s decision to ban imports of foreign waste products for recycling.

© – AFP, 2018

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    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gerry with a J
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 5:49 PM

    Famous faces?

    320
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    Mute Pádraig Ó Raghaill
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 6:40 PM

    Yea I wondered that too.

    Also, the stupid councils put so many town events on today, that most were down on numbers, as they were all competing, for legs on the street. Care factor and communication displayed, zero.

    78
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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 6:49 PM

    Linda Martin and some geezer from Tallaghtfornia, the paparazzi must have been swarming the place

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 6:55 PM

    What’s a tallaghtfornia?

    111
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    Mute Pádraig Ó Raghaill
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 7:01 PM

    Cheers Paul, was just going to ask that

    48
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    Mute Chris Kirk
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 7:06 PM

    The council is great on events and short termism, but haven’t a clue when it comes to inner citty homelessness.

    29
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    Mute Donal O'Brien
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 7:54 PM

    Was that the Tallafornia guy that was caught running his taxi with tractor diesel?

    60
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    Mute David Murphey
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    Jul 24th 2016, 12:49 AM

    Jayzuz, yiz are all very negative. I passed by and the kids seemed to be enjoying it.

    27
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    Mute Uncle Monty
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 5:48 PM

    Thanks for the Linda Martin pictures. I’ll revisit them later when I need to keep the wolf from the door.

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    Mute EmmaQ@gmail.com
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 6:24 PM

    A radio station should not be allowed to shut down a busy city centre street for advertising

    140
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    Mute Alien8
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 6:43 PM

    i wouldn’t mind if it was open to all, but it seems to be only for listeners to one station. a bit unfair to the majority of Dubliners who don’t.

    112
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    Mute John Campbell
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 6:10 PM

    If Linda (“I’m really only sixteen”) Martin and that other unknown are the famous people the rest of us might as well leave town!

    108
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    Mute Vinny Clare
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 6:42 PM

    Should’ve diverted it to the Liffey for some of those “celebrities”
    Honestly I’d do a better job with a roll of polythene on a hill with a garden hose. It looks rubbish

    98
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    Mute John Cusack
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 6:48 PM

    Why don’t you? Put your money where your mouth is.

    26
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    Mute Aural Abuse
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 7:44 PM

    Linda martin, all lubed up, sliding towards the camera with her legs up in the air…. That’s my appetite shot for at least a century.

    88
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    Mute Karl Haycock
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 9:12 PM

    They should have put more vaseline on the lens…

    35
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    Mute WJH
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 7:09 PM

    I pissed in it earlier.

    84
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    Mute Martin Sinnott
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 6:05 PM

    Animal cruelty having Linda Martin on it !

    71
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    Mute Techbuzz Ireland
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 6:03 PM

    Famous. Hmmmmm. Ok.

    68
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    Mute Jeanniejampots
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 7:11 PM

    It’s was traffic chaos today, merrion square closed off and then this too. All for a radio Station.

    58
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    Mute Dotrice Altrium Hollohatch
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 5:56 PM

    I went down it flying. It was MAGIC!!!

    45
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    Mute Dave Murray
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 7:05 PM

    Flying? Sliding down was too fancy that you took to the air?

    30
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    Mute Michael Kenny
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    Jul 24th 2016, 12:51 AM

    Did you hear any kids crying to be on it on your way down. It’s not fair only a select few allowed to be on it from a radio station.

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    Mute kelcia mcnamara
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 11:32 PM

    This was only open to celebrities and the rest of us plebs had to win a radio competition to partake?!?!! Should not have been allowed! Dublin City is for all, Shame !

    38
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    Mute Apu Mohammed
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 7:47 PM

    They better reinforce that before the Irish heifer girls trundle down it

    38
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    Mute Eimear Dawson
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 9:34 PM

    Who are you who dares to make a sexist remark like that? Your name does not identify you as having any Irish connection.so I would like to tell you that we do not welcome such comments . People must be treated with respect.

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    Mute ocJBI3Df
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    Jul 24th 2016, 7:44 AM

    How do you get a fat bird into bed? Piece of cake

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    Mute james Goodyear
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 5:57 PM

    Fantastic Street festival for the kids in swords today also. I think it Might be there tomorrow too. Great fun!

    33
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    Mute Dotrice Altrium Hollohatch
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 6:00 PM

    swords!

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    Mute Graham McNamara
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 6:24 PM

    Yeah ok but does it have a 260 foot slide where people have to paddle themselves down??

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    Mute Mark Ryan
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 11:08 PM

    What does snapchatter mean? Just someone off snapchat??

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    Jul 24th 2016, 10:03 AM

    No flies on you.

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    Mute theedgeproductions
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 5:57 PM

    260 foot ???
    Who even in the civilised world even uses illogical US measurements

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    Mute Uncle Monty
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 6:05 PM

    I know, yeah. It’s 43.33 fathoms ffs.

    99
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    Mute Kizzi Yeates
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 8:23 PM

    Hope they sterilised it after that Linda Martin ….

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    Mute Aimoo
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    Jul 24th 2016, 12:07 AM

    No famous faces in article. Liar!!

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    Mute Jason Moody
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    Jul 23rd 2016, 9:22 PM

    Few bottles babyoil

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    Mute Barra O Brien
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    Jul 24th 2016, 10:05 AM

    98fm is utter rubbish, up there beside dermot and Dave in the annoyance factors. Bray air fest was a much better place to be.

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    Mute Declan Gibney
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    Jul 24th 2016, 9:10 AM

    Not to worry, it will be burned out or stolen by now.

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Jul 24th 2016, 1:46 PM

    They have the weather for it ;0)

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