Europe Plans Ban on Plastic Cutlery, Straws and More (cnn.com)

Europe is proposing a ban on single-use plastic items such as cutlery, straws and cotton buds in a bid to clean up the oceans. From a report: The European Commission wants to ban 10 items that make up 70% of all litter in EU waters and on beaches. The list also includes plastic plates and drink stirrers. The draft rules were unveiled Monday but need the approval of all EU member states and the European Parliament. It could take three or four years for the rules to come into force. The legislation is not just about banning plastic products. It also wants to make plastic producers bear the cost of waste management and cleanup efforts, and it proposes that EU states must collect 90% of single-use plastic bottles by 2025 through new recycling programs.

Comments

This seens misplaced

[Anonymous Coward]

I read recently that the vast majority of plastic come from rivers in Asia and Africa. Why do this in Europe?

Manufacturers bear brunt of responsible cleanup?

[pjbass]

This ban is something that has been happening all over the world in some shape or form. Personally, I have little problem with it. I'm actually happy to see when a restaurant or coffee shop has utensils that are biodegradable. It's a great move.

What I don't like, from the end of this article, is the other part of the EU proposal. Why should the manufacturers be responsible for preventing people from being jackasses and throwing their garbage wherever they please? There are so many analogies to make here, it's not worth it.

People ultimately need to be held responsible for proper disposal and/or recycling of materials and consumables they are consuming. The manufacturer in this case isn't building in some weird feature making it difficult to throw the stirring straw in a garbage can. People just need to start being more responsible and not thinking that someone else will clean up after them.

Re:Please no

[Pfhorrest]

For use at home, sure, but what about when dining out, which is what I'm talking about?

Re:Please no

[Ol Olsoc]

Yeah, lets make the oceans into a big soup of crap instead so you can have your plastic, for the sake of convenience.

Are you assuming that once something is made of plastic, it automagically ends up in the ocean?

Recycling is the answer, not banning. If plastic forks spoons and knoves are always going to find their way into the ocean, and there is no stopping them, then we need to ban all plastic everywhere. Then start a war on drugs like action to stop the inevitable black market that will spring up.

I can see it now........ EU Anti-plastic czar, Adolpho Romano poses with 500 pounds of McDonald's Happy meal toys confistcated in a raid last night. Only two people were arrested because the other ten people running the organized crime plastic facility were killed in the action. The price of EU solidarity requires such harsh actions.