BERLIN: Single-use plastic products are to start disappearing from the market in EU member states in line with an EU directive which came into force on Saturday.
The ban, approved in 2019, affects disposable products such as single-use cutlery and plates, drinking straws, stirrers, cotton buds and balloon wands made of plastic.
Takeaway containers and beverage cups made of polystyrene are also no longer allowed to be put on the market. Traders are now obliged to use reusable alternatives made of glass or metal.
However, disposable products that are still in stock may continue to be sold.
The German Trade Association assumes that there are "still large quantities" that retailers would have to sell, but it does not have more precise figures.
Disposable plates, cups and cutlery made of organic materials or biodegradable plastics will also be banned. The same applies to disposable tableware made of cardboard, only a small part of which consists of plastic or is coated with plastic.— dpa
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