Page 36 - Plastics News April 2019

internAtionAL news

Franco-Dutch plastic ‘coalition of the willing’ takes shape

he French and Dutch governments have both penned very concrete, tangible things that our citizens can see
Tnational pacts that go beyond what EU rules on plastic and to plant the seeds of a level playing-field at EU level.”
waste stipulate. On Friday (5 April), they kicked off a process The EU recently agreed new rules to limit certain single-
they hope will culminate in a European Plastics Summit use plastics products, including cutlery, drinks stirrers
in 2020. In late February, France and the Netherlands and balloon sticks, and the new legislation is expected
both coincidentally launched on the same day separate to get the final green light from the Council this week.
national plans to In drafting their pacts, both countries involved NGOs to
improve how plastic act as “trusted intermediaries” and make sure that the
packaging is used. objectives were “realistic but also ambitious”.
Both are built around
voluntary pledges by Plastic Bags to Be Banned in
private companies
and fostering a so- New York
called ‘coalition
of the willing’. ew York State
Signatories include Dutch dairy giant FrieslandCampina Nla wma k e rs h a ve
and multinationals Carrefour, Coca-Cola Europe and agreed to impose a
Danone. Under the Dutch plan, the signing parties statewide ban on most
commit to making sure at least 70% of single-use plastic types of single-use plastic
packaging is recycled, as well as a 20% plastic consumption bags from retail sales,
reduction goal, all by 2025. The French pact aims to changing a way of life for
make all packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable millions of New Yorkers as
by the same year.The pacts also include obligations to legislators seek to curb an
make sure recycled plastic is used in new products, unsightly and omnipresent
awareness raising measures are organised and a list of source of litter.The plan, proposed a year ago by Gov.
“problematic or unnecessary items” is drawn up. At an Andrew M. Cuomo, would be the second statewide ban,
event hosted by the Dutch permanent representation after California, which banned bags in 2016. Hawaii
to the EU in Brussels earlier this month sustainability also effectively has a ban in place, since all the state’s
state-secretaries Brune Poirson (France) and Stientje Van counties bar such single-use bags.New York’s ban, which
Veldhoven (the Netherlands) outlined how they see their would begin next March, would forbid stores to provide
respective pacts evolving “From the very beginning it’s customers with single-use plastic bags, which are
been about not being just a French-Dutch initiative. The nonbiodegradable and have been blamed for everything
idea has always been to create a coalition of the willing from causing gruesome wildlife deaths to thwarting
in European governments and in the private sector,” Van recycling efforts. The ban, which is expected to be
Veldhoven told EURACTIV. Eleven representatives from part of the state’s budget bills that are slated to be
11 different counties joined the Dutch-hosted event passed, would have a number of carveouts, including
and there are plans afoot to hold a “joint public-private food takeout bags used by restaurants, bags used to
European plastic statement” in the autumn, ahead of wrap deli or meat counter products and bags for bulk
a full ‘Plastics Summit’ at the beginning of 2020.The items. Newspaper bags would also be exempted, as
summit is meant to act as a full stocktake of the plastics would garment bags and bags sold in bulk, such as trash
issue and for the conclusions to be forwarded to the new or recycling bags. The plan would have an additional
European Commission, so the EU executive can draft its element allowing counties to opt in to a 5-cent fee
work programme accordingly.
on paper bags, revenue that would go to the state’s
France’s Brune Porison told EURACTIV that “we want to Environmental Protection Fund as well as a separate
show that we can translate already-existing legislation into fund to buy reusable bags for consumers.

Plastics News April 2019 36