Issue 598: Disposable face masks used during the COVID-19 pandemic limited viral transmission but created a plastic waste disposal problem. This study explored whether single use masks remain effective if worn multiple times with or without washing.

The Commission has adopted new rules specifying how EU Member States must calculate and report on the reduction in their consumption of single-use plastic food containers and beverage cups under the Single-use Plastics Directive.

From 24 October 2021, EU Member States shall ensure that the targets for the separate collection for recycling of waste single-use plastic beverage bottles are calculated, verified and reported according to harmonised methodology and provisions.

Today, the European Commission provides guidance on the EU rules on single-use plastics.

On 9 March 2021 the Commission published vectorised pictograms in the order they appear in the Annexes I to IV of the Implementing Regulation.

On 5 March 2021, the European Commission published a corrigenda to Implementing Regulation 2020/2151 on harmonised marking of certain SUP products.

With the amount of harmful plastic litter in oceans and seas growing ever greater, the European Commission is proposing new EU-wide rules.

Questions & Answers

The European Commission is proposing new EU-wide rules that target the 10 single-use plastic products most often found on Europe's beaches and seas