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EU Single-Use Plastics Directive
The EU Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD, EU 2019/904) was adopted by the European Union in order to address plastic pollution in the environment. The directive aims at preventing and reducing the impact of some identified plastic products on the environment while promoting transition to circular economy in the European Union (EU) through combination of tailored measures. The directive focuses on restricting penetration of Single-use plastic products (SUPs) for which sustainable and affordable alternatives are available.

Single-use plastic goods (SUPs) are disposable items that are used just once or for a brief time before being disposed of. This plastic trash has widespread and potentially severe negative effects on the ecosystem and human health. Reusable plastic products are less likely than single-use ones to wind up in our oceans. Together with fishing gear, the top ten single-use plastic items that are frequently discovered on European beaches account for 70% of all marine litter in the EU.

The Directive restricts the following to be placed on the market


 * "cutlery (forks, knives, spoons and chopsticks);
 * plates;
 * straws and cotton bud sticks (except those used with active implantable or other medical devices);
 * beverage stirrers;
 * sticks to be attached to and to support balloons and their mechanisms, except balloons for industrial or other professional uses and applications that are not distributed to consumers;
 * food containers made of expanded polystyrene (i.e. boxes, with or without a cover) for immediate consumption without any further preparation, typically consumed from the container or ready to be consumed without further preparation;
 * products made from oxo-degradable plastic;
 * beverage containers made of expanded polystyrene, including their caps and lids; and
 * cups for beverages made of expanded polystyrene, including their covers and lids."