Natalia Welzenbach-Marcu | April 2nd, 2019

Single-use plastic may eventually meet its end, with multiple bans setting global standards for how we should proceed with our packaging.

Defined as plastic products that are intended to be used only once before being disposed of, single-use plastic packaging alone makes up for roughly 40% of all plastic produced and discarded.

EU lawmakers recently voted to ban several single-use plastic items completely by 2021. Plates, utensils, coffee cups and cotton buds are all set to be wiped away soon, and manufacturers must use alternative methods of producing these products if they want to stay in business.

While environmental groups in the EU praise the ban, there is some pressure on EU lawmakers to ensure that the recycling systems in the Union are equally efficient.

New York has also recently stepped up to the plate, pledging to ban most plastic bags statewide, making it the third state to restrict this particular product. While it’s unlikely that the US will follow in the EU’s footsteps to completely ban single-use plastics, even a reduction in plastic manufacturing would be incredibly beneficial.