Finland has ratified an EU directive that came into force in July, banning certain disposable plastic products. So called Disposable Plastics Directive the aim is to reduce the number of plastic products and their environmental impact.
Saying goodbye to banned plastic items is unlikely to have a big impact on people’s daily lives, as shops have already stolen alternative products and banned disposables can be sold off until they are gone.
Plastic-handled cotton swabs are now made of paper or wood. During the ban, fast food restaurants have replaced plastic whistles with paper ones.
The ban applies to plastic products, utensils and plastic-coated disposable tiles, plastic earplugs, plastic balloons, plastic cocktail or drink mixing bars, as well as disposable plastic products and certain types of polystyrene, such as various types of food packaging.
From Monday, some products, such as tampons, sanitary pads, cups, tobacco filters and wet wipes, must also be clearly marked as containing plastic. The label consists of a picture of a turtle depicting the aim of the directive to combat plastic pollution, in particular litter entering waterways.
Yle’s study earlier this year found that Finland eventually burned most of the recyclable plastic sorted by households.
The Agency for Safety and Chemicals (Tukes) is responsible for implementing the directive.
Source: The Nordic Page