Filenews 3 June 2021
From 3 July, disposable plastics, i.e. those we use once and then throw them away, are abolished in order to implement the European Parliament's decision to protect our planet and our sea. What exactly will be banned and why?
The Federation of Employers & Industrialists (OEB) informs its Members that from 03 July 2021, Directive 2019/904/EU on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment is implemented in all Member States, including Cyprus.
The Directive covers only those disposable plastic products that occur most frequently on beaches in the European Union (EU), as well as fishing gear containing plastics and products from oxo-broken down plastics.
Products prohibited from being placed on the market after 03 July 2021: cotton swabs, plates, cutlery, straws, beverage stirrers, food packaging and cups of expanded polystyrene, balloon rods and oxo-detachable plastic products.
The Directive includes, inter alia, measures to steadily reduce the consumption of certain disposable plastics, such as food packaging and cups with their lids. The implementation of these measures is expected to contribute measurably to the quantitative reduction in consumption of single-use plastic products by 2026 compared to 2022.
For some categories of disposable plastic products, there are still no suitable and more sustainable alternatives, and their consumption is expected to increase. For these plastics, the following measures shall be taken:
Mandatory labelling from 03 July 2021 for products: Sanitary napkins, wet wipes, tobacco products and filters, beverage cups. There is a transitional period until 3 July 2022 during which manufacturers can temporarily label their products with non-removable stickers. In this way, products that have already been manufactured but have not yet been distributed by the manufacturer can be labelled without much effort.
Separate collection of beverage bottles up to 3 litres, with the aim of recovering a quantity equal to 77% of the bottles placed on the market by 2025 and 90% by 2029.
Establishment of Expanded Producer Responsibility (EDP) systems to cover waste management and waste collection costs, as well as the necessary costs of awareness-raising measures to prevent and reduce such waste. By 2024, THE SYSTEMS will cover all disposable food packaging, packages and wrappers, beverage packages up to 3 litres, cups, thin carry-on bags, wet wipes, balloons, tobacco products and filters and fishing gear.
Finally, the Directive will introduce on the market standards for beverage packaging up to 3 litres, so that:
Their plastic covers and lids shall remain attached to the packaging during use of the product.
Pet beverage bottles (Polyesterene Terephalate) contain at least 25% recycled material by 2025 and 30% by 2030
With the implementation of Directive 2019/904/EU on the reduction of certain plastic products in the environment from 3/7/2021, it is expected that businesses will be affected to a different extent, depending on their economic activity and the use of these products.
The Federation of Employers & Industrialists (OEV) conducted a survey, through a structured electronic questionnaire, from 11/5/21 to 19/5/21 to determine the degree of influence of enterprises.
The investigation showed that the majority of undertakings were not up to day-to-day for immediate implementation but also for certain provisions of the Directive, such as, for example, that the definition of 'Disposable plastic' also includes disposable products which are partly and not only made entirely of plastic.
In particular, the results of the survey showed the following:
The majority of companies 92% are aware of the categories of disposable plastics that will be banned from 3/7/2021 in Cyprus.
The undertakings participating in the survey are not aware of the different types of plastics covered by the provisions of this Directive. Almost half of 43.6% of companies were unaware that the Directive (2019/904/EU) also affects disposable plastics produced from natural raw materials or biodegradable.
70% of the companies surveyed, considers that stocks of plastics (Batonettes with exception for medical use, Cutlery, food spoons and dishes, chopsticks, straws with the exception for medical use, all oxo-broken down materials, beverage stirrers, balloon rods, food packaging, drink and cups of expanded polystyrene), will be exhausted in 6 months, 13% believe it will take 12 months , while 17% will take 18 months.
70% of companies believe that the stock of the following plastics (drinks cups, wet wipes, sanitary pads, tampons, tobacco filters, etc.) will run out in less than 6 months, 20% think it will take less than 12 months, while 10% will need less than 18 months.
A percentage of businesses (10%) imports, produces, supplies or uses disposable beverage packages and cups from Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) and/or Extruded Polystyrene (XPS). Another 10 % do not know which category of plastic corresponds to the type it uses.
Most businesses (75%) knew about the marking to be placed either with a label or by printing on each piece. More than half of the companies surveyed, namely 57%, find it difficult to place stickers.
Finally, it appeared from the investigation that it was not clear which products would be withdrawn immediately.
Even a number of companies, due to the increased selling price of biodegradable plastics, will find this adjustment difficult and it would be better to have a small reduction in the price in the early stages of the implementation of the Directive or to have subsidies based on criteria. It would also be quite helpful to inform consumers about the benefits of using alternative proposals.
