Single Use Plastics

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Public opinion towards plastic has changed significantly in recent years due to media highlighting the impact and cost of plastic pollution on the environment and marine life. It is estimated that the world produces 142.6 million tonnes of plastic packaging every year, with the vast majority ending up in landfill, incinerators and the environment. Prevention and reuse of plastics is vital in tackling our throw away society mindset. Consumers are required to limit the use and disposal of plastic products and replace with alternatives where available.

Legal Requirement

The significant negative environmental, health and economic impact of certain plastic products calls for the setting up of a specific legal framework to effectively reduce those negative effects.

The Directive (EU) 2019/904 on single-use plastics is part of the European Union’s efforts to promote a circular economy and reduce plastic waste.

The Directive aims to tackle the global issue of harmful plastic, mainly single-use plastics (SUP) which are meant to be used only once, or for a very short period of time, before being discarded.

All EU Member States and the four nations of the UK are individually waging a war on the use of single-use plastics, with some countries having already gone above and beyond the directive’s restrictions.

In order to move to a more sustainable economy, the Department is seeking to reduce the use of single-use plastic products in line with the EU Directive. Articles 2-7, 14 and 17 of the EU SUP Directive, as detailed in Annex II of the Windsor Framework, will be transposed into Northern Ireland domestic law, meaning restrictions are required to be implemented on a number of plastic products.

Summary of the restrictions of Articles 4-7 relating to the EU SUP Directive include:

Article 4: The reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment introduces several measures to tackle unnecessary single-use plastic consumption within the EU.

Article 5: This restricts the sale and supply of single-use plastic cotton buds, cutlery, plates, straws, beverage stirrers, balloon sticks, expanded polystyrene food containers for immediate consumption or takeaway, expanded polystyrene cups and oxo-degradable products.

Article 6: Beverage containers and bottles up to 3 litres capacity made of plastic must have lids and caps that will remain attached.

Article 7: Sanitary items, wet wipes, tobacco products with filters and beverage cups must have clear markings to advise of the presence of plastic in the product along with appropriate disposal options.

The Regulations will reduce SUP consumption, increase public awareness and promote sustainable alternatives aligning with the Environmental Improvement Plan by reducing unnecessary plastic waste.

The objective of the Single-Use Plastics (SUP) Directive

The overriding objective is to prevent and reduce the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, in particular the marine environment, and on human health by achieving significant reductions in the number of single-use plastic products in circulation. The reduction will save natural resources, reduce the need for landfill and makes our country both cleaner and greener and a better place to live and do business.

The Ultimate Goal

The rules prohibit single-use plastic items commonly littered, and all products made from oxo-degradable plastic from being placed on the market. The following items are estimated to represent around 86% of the single-use plastic found on beaches in the EU:

Cotton bud sticks (exemptions apply);
Cutlery, i.e. forks, knives, spoons, chopsticks;
Plates;
Straws (exemptions apply)
Beverage stirrers;
Sticks to be attached to and to support balloons (exemptions apply)
Food containers made of expanded polystyrene:
Beverage containers made of expandable polystyrene, including their caps and lids;
Cups for beverages made of expanded polystyrene, including their covers and lids.

Some retailers have already undertaken their own steps to reduce the plastic products they use, replacing them with more sustainable and environmentally friendly options.

Necessary steps will be taken to achieve an ambitious and sustained reduction in the consumption of single use plastic:

Cups for beverages, including their covers and lids;
Food containers i.e. receptacles such as boxes, with or without a cover, used to contain food

Labelling Requirements

As part of the Directive certain items are required to have specific labelling requirements added to them to inform the consumer of the waste management options or waste disposal and also that the product contains plastic.

These items include:

Sanitary products including sanitary towels, tampons and tampon applicators
Wet wipes
Tobacco products with filters
Cups for beverages

Product Requirements

Under the rules of the Single-use Plastic Directive, single-use plastic beverage containers (receptacles used to contain liquid) with a capacity of up to three litres, can only remain on the market if they have the plastic cap or lid tethered to the bottle (attached to the container).

This does not include glass or metal beverage containers that have caps and lids made from plastic.

Compliance and enforcement

The production and disposal of SUP products create carbon emissions. This legislation provides necessary steps and guidance of how emissions can be reduced to ultimately meet net zero emissions by 2050.

Guidance and information will be updated on an on-going basis to ensure that all retailers and consumers are aware of the changing rules. Failure to comply with the changes may result in enforcement of compliance orders and/or fines.

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