Friends
of the Earth Barry&Vale see the declaration of plastic-free towns, as Penarth, to have
little bite. Replacing plastic covering
on a few items by a small fraction of traders does not merit a 'plastic-free' title.
The
Surfers-against-Sewage campaign was out-distanced by the new single-use
plastics directive agreed by the EU last December, which will enter into force by
mid-2021 [1]. FoE wants Britain to sign
up to this, come Brexit or not.
The directive targets the top 13
products most commonly found on beaches – plastic plates, cutlery, expanded
polystyrene food containers, cups, straws and cotton buds are all banned.
In
Britain, the Phase-out of Plastic
Pollution Bill, which has been drawn up by Friends of the Earth and the
National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI), was presented to Parliament
by Alistair Carmichael MP in January, with support from a cross party group of
MPs.
Max Wallis FOE member in Penarth says pressure is needed to
pass this new law, tightened up by the parliamentary process, to ensure tough
and timetabled action to tackle the crisis in plastic pollution.
The
Phase-out of Plastic Pollution Bill, includes:
- A statutory long-term target
to phase out all but the most essential uses of plastic by 2025.
- Add further categories to
the European list of products (plastic sachets, disposable coffee cup lids
etc.)
- Establish an independent
advisory Committee on Plastics Pollution to advise on policy measures to
achieve the targets and develop a list of essential plastic uses.
Friends of the Earth Barry&Vale
14 May 2019
[2] https://friendsoftheearth.uk/plastics/new-bill-cut-plastic-pollution-presented-parliament
