Plastic Bans Around the World

14 Dec

The requirement for restrictions on single-use plastics and measures to curb plastic pollution has never been more urgent, and public support has never been stronger.

Plastic production, conversion and waste management of plastics accounts for 4% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and the impact of plastic pollution and microplastics on ecosystems and the health of humans, flora and fauna has been found in study after study to be causing chronic, devasting damage.

A global survey of more than 20,000 people in 28 countries found that more than 75% support single-use plastic bans, with 88% supporting an international treaty to combat plastic pollution. Across all countries surveyed, an average of 82% of people said that they want to buy products which use as little plastic packaging as possible.

In November 2023, 175 countries agreed to develop legally binding agreements on plastic pollution by 2024 with the development of a Global Plastics Treaty. Many countries already have restrictions in place, in this blog let's dig into the plastic bans around the world.

Map of the world showing plastic bans in different regions.

Global Overview

Since Bangladesh introduced its plastic bag ban in 2002, more than 130 other countries have followed suit with either complete or partial bans on thin plastic bags.

In 2015, US banned plastic microbeads in cosmetics and personal care products, followed by the UK, Canada, Taiwan, and New Zealand.

In more recent years countries have been introducing laws against common single-use items such as straws, cutlery, drinks stirrers and food containers.

By Country and Region

European Union

SUP Ban: Since July 2021, the single-use plastic plates, cutlery, straws, balloon sticks and cotton buds are banned across all EU Member States. Cups, food, and beverage containers made of expanded polystyrene are also banned.
Oxo-Degradable Ban: All products made of oxo-degradable plastic are banned across the EU.
Waste Exports: An agreement was made in November 2023 to ban the export of plastic waste to non-OECD countries, ending the shifting of burden of plastic waste from richer countries to poorer countries.

The Netherlands

Takeaway tax: since July 2023, customers of takeaway locations have to pay for any disposable cups or containers containing plastic. Meals and drinks prepared on site are offered in reusable cups and containers with a deposit.
Deposit Return Scheme: Consumers are charged a deposit - usually around €1, on all plastic bottles of water or soda of three litres or less. The deposit is returned when the consumer returns the bottle to reverse-vending machines.

National Bans: Broadly following the EU legislation, the nations of England, Scotland and Wales have each banned single-use plastic cutlery, plates, bowls, trays, balloon sticks, and polystyrene food and drink containers.
Bag charges: Since 2015, retailers have had to charge a fee for plastic carrier bags - with the proceeds going to charitable and environmental causes. The law has raised hundreds of millions of pounds - and reduced carrier bag usage by 95%.

Indonesia

Bali Bans: Plastic shopping bags, straws and Styrofoam have been banned since 2018 - and in 2022 the island introduced plans to ban all single-use plastic.
Single-use Plastic Ban Plan: Indonesia will ban single-use plastic, including shopping bags, straws, cutlery, and Styrofoam food packaging by the end of 2029. Each province will be instructed to produce plastic waste reduction roadmap and manufactures are mandated to reduce their packaging waste by 30% to support the phase out of the plastic waste.

China

Bag bans: Ultra-thin plastic bags have been banned since 2008, thicker bags being phased out across towns and cities in 2022, and the full ban in place by 2025.
Restaurant industry: the restaurant industry has been mandated to reduce single-use plastic items by 30%, with a timetable for phasing out all single use plastic tableware (cutlery, chopsticks, straws, stirrers) by the end of 2025.
Hotel Amenities: Hotels must stop offering free single-use plastic items by 2025, such as bathroom amenities and toiletries.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh was the first country in the world to ban thin plastic bags in 2002 - bringing in the law after it was found that plastic bag pollution was a contributor to clogging drainage systems during disastrous flooding. Since 2002, more than 130 other countries have followed suit - bringing in full or partial bans on single use plastic bags.

India

Low utility, high waste: In July 2022, India banned 19 single-use items that are 'low utility, high potential to become litter' - including cutlery, straws, drinks stirrers, cotton buds, candy wrappers and cigarette packets. The ban includes the production, importation, stock, distribution, and sale of the items.

Japan

Minimum Charges: In 2020, single-use plastic legislation was introduced that required retailers to charge for plastic shopping bags at over 1 Yen. Exemptions were given to plastic bags thicker than 0.05cm, which are defined as reusable; 100% biodegradable bags; or bags made from materials with bio-based content greater than 25%. Bio-content must be certified with `biomass marks’ from the Japan Bioplastics Association or the Japan Organic Resources Association.
Plastic Resource Recycling Promotion Law: In April 2022, the government made it mandatory for businesses to reduce single-use plastic waste. The law covers 12 items, including spoons, forks, hotel amenities, and hangers at dry cleaning stores. Businesses can decide the reduction methods, whether reducing the weight, charging a fee, switching to alternative materials, or giving points to customers who turn the item down.

Thailand

Restricted area: Since 2019, Thailand banned single-use plastics from 155 national parks for the conservation of natural resources. Bring and use single-use plastic and foam containers, including plastic bags with a thickness of less than 36 microns, food containers, cups, straws, and cutlery are prohibited.
Plastic Waste Import Ban: On February this year, Thailand announced that will be ban the import of all plastic waste by 2025. The first phase this year, plastic waste import was restricted to 14 recycling plants in the tax-free zones, and restricted imports to only what they can use in production.

USA

Patchwork Laws: There are no nationwide bans on plastics or products, but 10 states, more than 200 counties and municipalities have placed bans on plastic bags - with many more states and counties charging levies on the sale of bags.
California: California was the first state to ban plastic bags, since 2016 the statewide ban has been in effect. In 2022 the state passed a law to ensure a 25% reduction in single-use plastic by 2032, with ambitious targets to improve recycling rates and reduce plastic pollution.
Balloon Bans: Balloon releases have been banned in the states of Maryland, Virginia, and Hawaii as well as many coastal cities like Laguna Beach. Balloons are particularly hazardous for marine wildlife and birds: latex balloons are 32 times more likely to kill seabirds than hard plastic.
Bans on Bans: Seventeen states have declared that it's illegal to ban plastic items - creating complicated legal hurdles to environmental protections.

Canada

Toxic Debate: In December 2022 a ban came into effect, prohibiting plastic bags, cutlery, straws, six-pack rings, drinks stirrers and some food service packaging. The legislation declared the items to be toxic substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. However, in November 2023 the Federal Court in Ottawa ruled that the legislation was "unreasonable and unconstitutional" in its labelling of the items as toxic. The case is now ongoing, with the government expected to update the legislation to be more specific about the plastics and the uses of plastics that are banned.

Mexico

Capital Ban: The country's capital, Mexico City banned a wide range of single-use plastic items, including food containers, cutlery, straws, cups, lids, balloons, and balloon sticks. This legislation came into effect in 2021, joining an existing ban on plastic bags.
Tampon Controversy: The 2021 ban included plastic tampon applicators, prompting debate and alarm that rates of period poverty would increase. Mexico City has a poverty rate of 30%, and more than 2% of people don't have access to water - meaning that alternative products like reusable menstrual cups are financially prohibitive or challenging to use. Headlines was made around the world, but many brands had already switched to non-applicator or carboard applicator products.

Rwanda

Total SUP Ban: In October 2019, Rwanda became the first African country to issue a complete ban on all single-use plastics.
Travel ban: The ban on single-use plastic bags extends to visitors traveling to Rwanda, who cannot bring plastic bags with them into the country.
"Umuganda": The last Saturday of the month is known as 'Umuganda' - where all citizens take part in mandatory community service to participate in clean-up operations, which has resulted in significant reduction of plastic pollution.

Kenya

Heavy Penalties: Since 2017, Kenya made a groundbreaking move with single-use plastic bags ban. The law came with heavy penalties; violators were either got fines or criminal sentence. Manufacturing, importing or selling single-use plastic bans could earn a fine of $40,000, whilst using one faces a fine of $500.
Protected from Plastic: In 2020, single-use plastics are prohibited in protected areas such as parks and forests.
Bad Neighbours: In 2023, the Kenyan government promised to enforce the bans more strictly, to stop the import of banned goods from neighbouring countries which don't have such bans.

Zimbabwe

Sustainable alternatives: Since 2017, government has ordered food industry to stop using expanded polystyrene (EPS) containers and replace them with recyclable or biodegradable ones.

Argentina

Microbeads ban: In 2020, a law was adopted that prohibits the production, import, and marketing of cosmetic and personal hygiene products that contain plastic microbeads intentionally added for exfoliation, including lotions, makeup products, toothpaste, nail polish, and soap, among other products.

Brazil

Proposal to single-use plastic ban: In October 2023, passed a draft bill which would implement a ban for single-use plastic products made from non-compostable materials within one year and plastic packaging that is non-recyclable or compostable within seven years.
Local movement: Brazil doesn’t have a country-wide plastic ban in place, but local governments have adopted local bans on bags, straws, and other single-use plastic products.

Colombia

Single-use Plastics Prohibition: Since 2022, Colombia prohibited products containing single-use plastics from being manufactured, imported, exported, marketed, and distributed within Colombia. The ban on plastic bags and cutlery will be in force from January 2025 while plastic holders and swabs will be from January 2026. Some single-use plastics are exempted from the requirements and prohibitions, including plastics that are used in animal, processed, and wet foods, medical practices, and health care activities.
Sustainable Plan: The National Plan for the Sustainable Management of Single-Use Plastics aims to ensure that 100% of single-use plastics placed on the market are reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2030.

Australia

State by State: The states of Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia have introduced single-use plastic bans for a range of items. In all three states plastic stemmed cotton buds are prohibited
Balloon Ban: Queensland has banned outdoor balloon releases, and polystyrene loose packaging, including 'packing peanuts'.
Reusability Tests: Queensland government also requires non-woven plastic shopping bags with thickness of 35 microns or more to pass reusability tests for 125 uses, while non-compostable plastic shopping bags must contain at least 80% recycled content.

Do Plastic Bans Work?

Plastic bag bans and taxes have proven to be highly effective effort. For instance, California's ban on thin plastic bags resulted in a remarkable 71.5% reduction in consumption. In New Jersey, where a ban was recently introduced, the results of the 2022 annual beach clean were encouraging; the number of plastic bags collected dropped by 37% compared to the previous year, and there was a significant decrease in the presence of straws and takeaway containers.

Beyond the environmental impact, this legislation shapes a new culture in society. Companies are started to find innovative sustainable solutions like Solinatra. The more companies use our biomaterials, the more customers kept their single-use items consumption on the circular cycle.

Solinatra: The Truly Sustainable Solution

We can’t switch into a plastic-free planet overnight. But the need to reduce plastic use is urgent and necessary. Despite the operational challenges, the transition into sustainable packaging is here and needed. Companies around the world are started to reimagine their packaging with sustainable alternatives like Solinatra.

Whether driven by legislation or by net-zero strategies, Solinatra makes it easy to transition away from polluting plastics. Solinatra materials are 100% natural and plant based, and can be processed in existing supply chains - compatible with existing manufacturing machinery. Compostable and biodegradable, products made of Solinatra degrade in short time frames and leave behind no harmful or persistent pollutants or microplastics. Our products designed for both home and industrial composting, with zero microplastic behind and PFAS-free. If you’re a business owner who wants to switch to Solinatra for your truly sustainable solution to single-use plastic, get in touch and discuss with us!

Sources

Georgie Oatley

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A Year of Sustainable Milestones

Solinatra Under the Microscope