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News December 26, 2018

European Union Moves To Ban Plastic Cutlery, Plates and More

The regulations carry importance for promotional product distributors.

By  Christopher Ruvo

In an effort to cut down on pollution, the European Union has taken a major step toward banning 10 single-use plastic products – a sweeping, potentially precedent-setting move that can have implications for the promotional products industry in Europe and the U.S.

Last week, EU leaders inked a provisional agreement that would prohibit items that include plastic cutlery, plates, straws and drink stirrers, as well as sticks for balloons and food containers made of expanded polystyrene.

A final vote is anticipated in the spring. Should it affirm the ban as expected, then the prohibitions would go into effect in all 28 European Union countries by 2021.

In addition to the ban, related measures include an initiative to limit the use of other plastic items, such as containers, drink cups and lids. In some cases, manufacturers will have clean-up obligations. The EU regulations would also require all plastic bottles to contain 30% recycled content by 2030. Meanwhile, companies that make tobacco filters containing plastic will have to cover the costs for public collection of cigarette butts.

Single-use plastic bags aren’t mentioned in the new regulations, but that’s because the EU had previously implemented rules aimed at vastly reducing their use and encouraging patrons to go with reusable bags. The EU prohibitions on plastic bags say all 28 member countries must reduce average annual plastic bag use per person to 90 by 2019 and 40 by 2025.

Regulators are keen to clampdown on disposable plastics because they pollute waterways and oceans, cause litter to increase in cites, towns and natural habitats, and emit greenhouse gases as they degrade.

The EU bag regulations and now the pending ban on various plastic throwaway items are especially notable because of their uniform reach across nearly 30 countries. “The EU may serve as a test case and set a standard for what such a ban would look like, so it’s important to keep an eye on what happens there as the ban unfolds,” wrote Popular Science in relation to the latest regulations.

The regulations in the EU could have a positive effect for European branded merchandise distributors and U.S.-based distributors that sell into the market, as the rules could help fuel sales of logoed alternatives, from bamboo straws and reusable cutlery, to tote bags. The regs could also impact American promo distributors that do business strictly in the states in so far as they could serve as a catalyst for more sweeping plastic prohibitions and regulations in the U.S., leading to more opportunities to sell logoed reusables.

Still, it’s also worth noting that the requirement to have all plastic bottles contain at least 30% recycled plastic by 2030 is a regulation for which suppliers and manufacturers will have to plan. Distributors will have to ensure any such products they pitch meet the standards.

In the U.S., there is a patchwork of regulations regarding single-use plastics. For instance, California has a statewide ban on plastic bags, while Washington is considering one. Cities and towns throughout the country have also adopted regulations on plastic bags, straws and Styrofoam disposables. Alternatively, states like Ohio and Texas have pushed back against plastic bag bans. Certainly there are those on this side of the pond who want to see a more uniform, national approach to regulating single-use plastics.