The Environment Department will ban plastic cutlery
In a new bill, the Environment Department proposes a national ban on plastic straws, disposable cutlery and plastic plates.
On Monday, Minister of Climate and Environment, Ola Elvestuen (V) received the proposal, which complies with the requirements of the EU’s plastic products directive, from the Directorate.
The proposal includes cutlery, plates, stirs, balloon sticks, cotton swabs, take-away packaging, and isopore drinking cups.
According to reports the consultancy company MEPEX has made on behalf of the Environment Department, the ban can reduce the use of disposable products in Norway annually by 1.9 billion units, and prevent the spread of this type of litter in nature by around 6 million units.
– “This is an important step in the effort to get rid of unnecessary disposable plastic in Norway. Ocean waste is one of the major environmental problems of our time, and disposable plastic is one of the sources,” says Elvestuen.
In the EU Member States, the ban on disposable plastic will take effect on July 3, 2021.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
