24 October 2018 ( STRASBOURG, FRANCE) –<\/strong> The European Parliament has leapt forward to protect people and the environment from plastic pollution, and national governments must now show the same ambition, according to the Rethink Plastic alliance.<\/p>\n An overwhelming\u00a0majority in the European Parliament voted today to strengthen the European Commission\u2019s plan to cut pollution from single-use plastic items. [1] The Parliament voted to ban some of the most problematic throwaway products, such as expanded polystyrene food containers, and to ensure producers are held accountable for the costs of single-use plastic pollution. For fishing gear, one of the largest contributors to marine litter, harmonized standards will be developed and minimum collection and recycling targets will be set at the EU level. [2]<\/p>\n \u201cThe European Parliament has made history by voting to reduce single-use plastics and slash plastic pollution in our rivers and ocean\u201d said Justine Maillot, EU Affairs Project Officer at Surfrider Foundation Europe on behalf of Rethink Plastic. \u201cCitizens across Europe want to see an end to plastic pollution. It\u2019s now up to national governments to keep the ambition high, and resist corporate pressure to continue a throwaway culture.\u201d<\/p>\n However, campaigners are disappointed that the full Parliament did not adopt a ban on very light-weight single-use plastic bags supported by the Environment committee.<\/p>\n A leaked letter recently exposed how major plastic polluters such as\u00a0Coca-Cola<\/a>, Nestl\u00e9, PepsiCo and Danone are lobbying national environment ministers to water down the directive. [3]<\/p>\n Representatives of EU national governments are expected to meet later this month to agree on their joint position, and the three-way negotiations between governments, the European Parliament, and the European Commission could then start as soon as early November.<\/p>\n -END-<\/p>\n NOTES:<\/strong><\/p>\n [1]\u00a0European Commission steps forward to cut on single-use plastics \u2013 but it\u2019s just the beginning, Rethink Plastic alliance<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n [2]\u00a0The measures adopted include:<\/p>\n These measures apply to all single-use plastics listed in the Annexes including bio-based and biodegradable plastics.<\/p>\n [3]\u00a0Coca Cola, Pepsi and Nestle attempt to water down new plastics laws, leaked letter reveals, The Independent<\/a>;\u00a0Drinks giants rail against EU bottle cap plan, Euractiv<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n PRESS CONTACTS:<\/strong> Loujain Kurdi, Communications Officer, Greenpeace Canada, loujain.kurdi@greenpeace.org, +1 514-577-6657\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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\nRoberta Arbinolo, Communications Coordinator, Rethink Plastic alliance:<\/strong>
\nroberta@rethinkplasticalliance.eu<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0+32 (0) 491 14 31 97<\/p>\n