Among the indelible images of the months of the Covid 19 pandemic there are also hundreds of plastic gloves and masks abandoned everywhere.
The bad habit of throwing waste onto the ground (or into canals, rivers, seas) is so deeply rooted in an ever-increasing number of people that, at the moment, the best solution to combat the problem arising from plastic seems to be that of prohibit its sale, at least for disposable products.
Italy, which from 14 January 2022 should apply the European directive in this regard, seems instead to have turned a deaf ear, receiving in recent days the letter of formal notice from Brussels.
The latter constitutes the first legal step envisaged by the infringement procedure of a European directive.
WHAT THE EUROPEAN ANTI-PLASTIC LEGISLATION SAYS
In 2021 the European Commission has established the ban on the sale of single-use plastic products And “oxo-degradable” (i.e. composed of plastic materials containing additives which through oxidation lead to the fragmentation of the plastic material into microfragments) from 2021, with the promulgation of the Sup (Single use plastic) directive.
This regulation was also implemented by Italy, with a legislative decree issued in November 2021 and which then entered into force on January 14, 2022.
From that date, in theory, it would no longer be possible purchase a long series of commonly used products: from plates, cutlery and glasses to straws, cotton buds, gloves (with the exception of those used as medical devices) etc.
The regulation had obviously foreseen a suitable period of time for “dispose of supplies” of illegal products by the sellers, who are solely responsible for demonstrating that the lots were purchased before the decree came into force.
Stefano Ciafani, president of Legambiente, declared:
The entry into force of the Sup directive also in Italy is an important step forward and the first green action of this early 2022. Let us not forget that our country has long been at the forefront and leader in the fight against single-use plastic and in combating marine litter with national rules, such as the ban on plastic bags and non-biodegradable and non-compostable cotton buds and the ban on the use of microplastics in rinse-off cosmetic products, later taken up by the European directive. But in the fight against single-use plastic we must not let our guard down, indeed the commitment to reduce it between now and the next few years, increasingly promoting reusable plastic, will have to continue with more strength and determination than before also because with the pandemic, unfortunately, they have returned overwhelmingly disposable plastic objects.
Vincenzo Colla, councilor for economic development of Emilia Romagna, however, had a contrary opinion, commenting:
[L’entrata in vigore della sup] It’s a very hard blow to democracy and a mine that risks shattering our packaging valley [ndr, 222 imprese per 22mila posti di lavoro, con circa 6 miliardi di euro/anno di fatturato]the world’s leading production district for automatic machines.
ROME WILL HAVE TO MOTIVATE THE GAPS
As mentioned, a letter of formal notice arrived in Rome from Brussels, the first step required in cases of starting the infringement procedure.
The executive has two months to provide the European Parliament their answers and to fill in the gaps on the continued use of single-use plastic.
In the event that the Commission does not find Rome’s reasons satisfactory, it will be able to proceed along the legal process, justifying the infringement procedure, possibly establishing financial penalties and asking the Italian Government for a program of recovery and compliance with the regulations.
PLASTIC OVERSHOOT DAY, THE ITALIAN ONE WILL BE ON OCTOBER 22ND
In addition to Overshoot Day, i.e. the day in which the human race consumes all available resources, going into debt with the Planet, denying it the time necessary to regenerate them, there is the Plastic Overshoot Day.
The date, which changes from year to year and varies from region to region, indicates the day on which global plastic production exceeds management and recycling capacity, resulting in environmental pollution.
According to the new report from the Swiss non-profit EarthActionin 2024 the world will generate 220 million tons of plastic waste.
The next global Plastic Overshoot Day is set for September 5, 2024, while the Italian one will arrive on October 15th; it is a symbolic date, the calculation of which is not as precise as the one that annually establishes Overshoot Day, although it is based (in part) on the same data.
The initiative came to life on July 28, 2023, the date of the first Plastic Overshoot Day, and had as his goal that of identify the extent of the problem related to plastic waste, track harmful practices and hold governments, companies and individual citizens accountable with respect to the consequences of their actions (or inactions).
contact us: [email protected]
