In the wake of China’s ban on the import of foreign garbage, which took effect earlier this month, countries across the globe are scrambling to figure out what to do with the thousands of tons of trash piling up at their ports. Now, Europe has announced it is launching an aggressive new recycling initiative to reduce plastic waste and garbage exports.
In the wake of China’s ban on the import of foreign garbage, which took effect earlier this month, countries across the globe are scrambling to figure out what to do with the thousands of tons of trash piling up at their ports. Now, Europe has announced it is launching an aggressive new recycling initiative to reduce plastic waste and garbage exports.
The project will take aim at “single-use plastics that take five seconds to produce, you use it for five minutes, and it takes 500 years to break down again,” Frans Timmermans, vice-president of the European Commission, told The Guardian.
European policymakers are designating more than $120 million for research into better plastic designs, durability, and recyclability; mulling a ban on microplastics often found in cosmetics and other personal care products; tightening port regulations to prevent the disposal of waste into the ocean; and considering taxing single-use plastics.
Read more at Yale Environment 360
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