Break Free From Plastic

Rethink Plastic challenges the European Parliament to break free from plastic bottles

Published

11 Apr 2018

Written by

ZWE Staff

share:

Rethink Plastic challenges the European Parliament to break free from plastic bottles

Today Rethink Plastic prompted the European Parliament to set the example and break free from plastic bottles, with a letter to President of the Parliament Antonio Tajani.

It’s been one year since the members of the Rethink Plastic alliance, including Zero Waste Europe, invited the presidents of EU institutions to ban single use plastics from their meetings, events and buildings. While the European Commission and the Council have responded positively and started to put measures in place, the European Parliament has not taken measures yet to end the use of single use plastics in its premises.

A few week ago, the Vice-President of the Commission, Jyrki Katainen, threw down the gauntlet, inviting the European Parliament to a friendly competition to see which European Institution will be the most circular and the first to break free from single use plastic water bottles.

“The chance is now yours to take the lead, to commit to a circular economy and thus to set the example for parliaments all over Europe”, says Rethink Plastic in its letter. “”The Parliament still extensively uses single use plastics, judging from the large amount of plastic water bottles, single use plastic cutlery and straws that we see in its facilities. Meetings in the European Parliament are still full of single use plastic water bottles that have no place in a circular economy. This is all the more disappointing as the European Parliament has an exemplary role to play in implementing the circular economy and sustainable procurement practices.”

Will the European Parliament take up the challenge and phase out single use plastic bottles?

Read the full letter here!