At Rethink Plastic, we have carried out our own evaluation of the SUP Directive with the contribution of the Break Free From Plastic Network, building on the previous transposition and implementation assessments published by the Rethink Plastic alliance to monitor developments since 2019, as well as recent assessments from our members on the state of play in their respective countries. We will also take this opportunity to highlight the positive impact that the SUP Directive has had, both in raising general awareness about single-use plastic pollution and promoting a preventative approach to the global plastic pollution crisis, as opposed to relying on a clean-up and recycling-focused mitigation approach.
A holistic plastic strategy: Addressing polymers and plastics under the ESPR
Plastics and polymers should be included as an intermediate product in the first working plan
under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (foreseen for early 2025). By prioritising
plastics and polymers in the first ESPR working plan, the EU will take a major step in addressing
the plastic pollution crisis, working to minimise the environmental footprint of plastic and polymer
production. This paper showcases the need to do that and shed lights on the missing pieces of the
puzzle and limitation of current methodology that look into polymer production.
PVC Problem Very Clear.
Commonly used plastics pose many threats to human health and the environment, making them one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time. But in the landscape of the various plastics that surround us, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) stands out. Not only is it found everywhere, from home furnishings to children’s toys and medical supplies, contributing to widespread, irreversible plastic pollution, but it is also associated with grave toxic effects along its whole life cycle – from production to disposal.
Functionalisation of Paper and Cardboard. How to make Paper/Cardboard impervious for packaging?
Paper and cardboard require functionalisation so that they can be used in contact with food. Functionalisation may include adding a barrier function to water, grease, gases, etc. This is mainly achieved through the use of plastic, i.e. the combination of polymer(s) + additive(s). Paper and cardboard food packaging are therefore not free from plastic. As such, most paper and cardboard packaging remain at the same level as “single-use plastics”, as defined in the European Directive on Single-Use Plastics.
Big tobacco: poisoning (long-due) extended producer responsibility schemes
Single Use Plastics Directive Implementation Assessment Report February 2024 Focus on Extended Producer Responsibility schemes on tobacco-related products
Cigarette buts are the most commonly found litter worldwide in clean-up activities with over 4.5
trillion estimated to be discarded annually. Cigarette butts are found in almost all environments:
they are found massively along roadways, along waterways, on the beach but also in parks and
playgrounds, and in cities. As our citizen science projects prove, cigarettes have constantly been
the number one litter item picked up on European beaches, in city streets or along water bodies
during the Surfrider Europe’s Ocean Initiatives: 2,409,580 cigarette butts were collected in 2022
(1). In 2022, cigarette butts were collected in 89% of our operations and there were 1072
cigarette butts counted on average at each clean-up organised that year. And in every country
where Ocean Initiatives took place, cigarette butts were found. At global level, of the 137 million
cigarette butts discarded onto the ground every day, 40% end up in the oceans.
SCIP Database – Does it enhance transparency on Substances of Concern in a Circular Economy?
Disposable Paper-based Food Packaging. The false solution to the packaging waste crisis.
A new report by the Rethink Plastic Alliance, European Environmental Bureau, Zero Waste Europe, Fern and the Environmental Paper Network reveals the environmental harm caused by replacing single-use plastic with single-use paper packaging. The report clearly shows the need to move away from ever-polluting single-use packaging and towards well-designed reuse systems. The NGO coalition calls on the EU to seize the opportunity the Packaging and Packaging Waste regulation offers, and implement the necessary changes.
Unveiling the Complexities: Exploring LCAs of Reusable Packaging in the TakeAway Sector
Tiny Plastic, Big Problem. Recommendations for Effective EU Plastic Pellet RegulationsTiny Plastic, Big Problem.
The exponential expansion of the production of raw plastic materials since 2005 has resulted in
increased waste generation and over 170 trillion plastic particles in the world’s oceans. Virtually all plastic products are derived from plastic pellets, flakes and powders (hereinafter referred to simply as
pellets), meaning the transboundary shipment of pellets has also drastically expanded. Due to pellets’
size and current handling across the supply chain, they often end up in the environment and are one of
the largest sources of primary microplastic pollution. In response, the European Union (EU) should take
all necessary steps to regulate plastic pellets across the plastic supply chain and effectively reduce the
amount of pellets that end up in the environment.