A scientific assessment has confirmed enormous amounts of waste and definite harm to wildlife. The report says that in 2016, 29,000 tonnes of plastic garbage ended up as litter in Canada.
The French government’s goal is to phase out all single-use plastics by 2040, in accordance with European Union directives, but the general public is already way ahead of the deadlines and we can learn from them.
The pandemic is impacting yet another part of the U.S.' world: recycling programs. Since people have become more cautious about person-to-person transfer of COVID-19, single-use items are increasing.
Non-degradable bags will be banned in major cities by the end of 2020 and in all cities and towns by 2022. The restaurant industry will also be banned from using single-use straws by the end of 2020.
Big moves to ban plastic are big news – and I dare say, "radical." It's not easy bucking big oil and the plastic industry, nor is it easy to convince consumers to give up the convenience of disposables.
No list of banned products has been released yet, but it will likely include plastic shopping bags, straws, disposable cutlery, cotton swabs with plastic sticks, drink stirrers, and takeout food containers and cups.
Mexico City has joined a growing number of cities in banning single-use plastic bags. Mexico City has had problems with excessive amounts of trash for years now. Plastic only recently became recyclable in the city.
Hawaii's most populated island is implementing tough new rules for packaging. Honolulu City will ban food and beverages from being served in polystyrene containers and with disposable utensils or plastic straws from 2021.
The foam ban will take effect on January 1, 2020 and is just one of the actions the city of Vancouver, Canada is taking to reduce single-use item waste in support of its zero-waste goal for 2040.
Scotland has banned plastic-stemmed cotton swabs, in a move to help reduce plastic pollution in the country. Bits of plastic Q-tips get washed up onto beaches and are harmful to marine life and local animals.
The ban would be implemented from 2021 and would affect a range of plastic products that have reasonable alternatives, such as plastic cutlery, foam takeout food containers, straws and drink stirrers.
Taiwan aims to be completely free of plastic bags and all single-use plastic items, such as utensils and beverage cups, by 2030. Starting this year, chain restaurants will be restricted from giving straws to customers for in-store use.
The world's first plastic-free flight took off from Portugal and flew to Brazil on December 26th. The plane carries no single-use plastics – but aren't we ignoring a much bigger environmental issue?
The European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly for an European Union-wide ban on single-use plastics, such as straws, plastic cutlery and cotton buds. The ban would come into effect from 2021.
The island nation is the latest in a long line of places making a move against single-use plastic.
