EU proposes a ban on single-use plastic cutlery, straws, and more

The European Commission wants to ban 10 single-use plastic items, including cutlery and straws, and have plastic producers help pay the cost of cleaning up plastics and waste management by 2030.

These 10 items make up 70 percent of the litter in European Union waters, CNN reports. The European Commission released its draft rules on Monday, and they must be approved by all EU member states and the European Parliament. It could take up to four years for the rules to be enacted.

The European Commission said that once the rules are fully implemented, they could save consumers $7.6 billion a year and spur the creation of 30,000 jobs. They would also cost businesses more than $3.5 billion every year, but save $25.6 billion in environmental damage and cleanup costs, CNN reports. Globally, only 14 percent of plastic is collected through recycling, and under the proposed rules, EU states would have to set up new recycling programs in order to collect 90 percent of single-use plastic bottles by 2025.

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