Brussels, 05/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - Regulation may be necessary in the EU to bring in a total ban on plastic bags that are transforming the world's seas and oceans into “plastic soup”, but the European Commission is not yet decided. After the public consultation exercise on the subject in May 2011, it will resort to a Green Paper on Wednesday to launch a more far-reaching debate on the best way to tackle general plastic pollution within the EU. Plastic pollution is a major source of pollution as, every year, 10 million tonnes of plastic waste are found in oceans and seas throughout the world. All stakeholders are invited to express their points of view and to fuel the debate on questions raised and solutions envisaged in the Green Paper on a European strategy on plastic waste in the environment, with a view to reducing this scourge which is detrimental to both the environment and to health, given that plastic contains heavy metals and chemical substances.
The very broad range of questions tackled covers, among others, the assessment of the current legislative framework for waste prevention and management, the problems posed by illegal or badly managed landfills, the design of plastic products to make them re-usable, repairable or recyclable, and the opportunity of integrating into the modest price of plastic its cost in terms of environmental damage and health spending. It also covers the role that the consumer can play in reducing this kind of waste.
The Commission is due to adopt the text on Wednesday by written procedure. On Thursday 7 March, Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik will present the detailed content of the text at a joint press conference with Jeremy Irons, who produced the documentary film “Thrashed”. The film highlights the huge problems caused by waste in general. It was presented at the last film festival in Cannes.
The challenge is a sizeable one as the production of plastic and the problem of plastic-generated waste have grown exponentially since the beginning of the 20thcentury. Plastic is to be found in most industrial products and the waste from those products is to be found everywhere, especially in the sea, with plastic waste responsible for 80% of marine pollution, amounting to 10 million tonnes annually. Micro-plastics are a serious threat for marine biodiversity, and are also a major vector of endocrine disruptors that enter the food chain and represent a serious threat for public health. Specific legislation on plastic bags could be proposed later this year. (AN/transl.jl)