Plastics and EU — European Elections 2024
Elections for the European Parliament take place from 6th to 9th June 2024. A watershed moment in the fight against plastic pollution?
Did you notice that there are far fewer single-use plastic bags, plastic straws and cups in use in Europe than just a couple of years ago? That’s because the European Parliament, along with the other EU institutions, brought about a law that significantly reduces the amount of single-use plastic items. The Single-use plastic directive was a first great milestone. But the problem with plastic is far from over.
Europe is one of the largest producers and consumers of plastics worldwide. Almost 26 million tonnes of plastic waste (that’s as much as the combined weight of 2574 Eiffel towers!) is generated each year in the EU. This is far more than Europe is currently able to manage, even less so than it recycles. As you probably know, plastic pollutes the soil, water and air and it endangers animals. But it is also a very real threat to our health, its production requires oil, gas and coal, it drives climate change and it is an expensive problem for communities to deal with.
If you want the EU to tackle the plastics crisis, then we need a European Commision and European Parliament that is committed to delivering real solutions to protect people and the planet. The EU elections will largely determine what guides EU politics and laws for the next five years. Even though plastic is driving some of the dominating issues of this election, there is a great danger that it will be pushed off the agenda – that’s rubbish! We need decision-makers who will strive to reduce plastic production, support reuse, eliminate toxic chemicals, and deliver real solutions to the plastic pollution crisis to protect us and future generations.
Europe is one of the largest producers and consumers of plastics worldwide. If we want the EU to tackle the plastics crisis, then we need a European Commision and European Parliament that is committed to delivering real solutions to protect people and the planet.
Follow our campaign over the next months and help us spread awareness about the ways plastic is harming Europe and its people. We have no time to waste – it’s time to Break Free From Plastics!
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We are doing this with the support of European citizens who took part in the consultation we launched in December 2022.. They shared with us their ideas and solutions on how the European Union should strengthen and consolidate its policies to protect the Ocean. This ebullition of ideas leaves no doubt about citizens’ commitment to preserving this priceless resource.
On any given day, a dolphin in the ocean has to navigate warming and more acidic seas, while also dodging trawling nets, offshore drilling, noisy and heavily polluting ships, invasive species, diseases from farmed fish, dead zones, construction, tourism, and swathes of pollutant-laden plastics and microplastics.
A campaign by Break Free From Plastic and Rethink Plastic Alliance
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