The government has adopted a draft law that is expected to lead to a reduction in waste such as plastic straws, cutlery, and cotton buds. The regulation should make a significant contribution to reducing the amount of rubbish produced.

The Council of Ministers has adopted a draft law amending the Act on the obligations of entrepreneurs with regard to the management of certain waste and the product fee and other acts. It brings Polish law into line with regulations in force in the European Union. The aim is to reduce the amount of waste generated from single-use plastic products present in the environment, particularly in the marine environment.

Disposable plastic products such as cotton buds; cutlery (forks, knives, spoons); plates; straws; polystyrene food and drink containers; drink stirrers and balloon sticks; and expanded polystyrene beverage containers and cups, including their caps and lids, will be banned from the market.

Plastic waste has a negative impact on many species that are found in the marine environment, such as turtles, whales, birds and some species of fish or shellfish. Animals die entangled in the waste or mistake it for food, so plastics can eventually end up in the human food chain.

In addition to the detrimental impact on the environment, as well as the potential impact on human health, marine plastic waste has a negative impact on tourism, fishing and shipping. There is also a loss of valuable material, which becomes waste despite the fact that it could be reintroduced into the economy.

The amount of waste in assessments and seas is constantly increasing. In terms of volume, single-use plastic products account for 50% of all waste that occurs in the marine environment.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński