Single-Use Plastics Ban!
The EU Parliament has approved a single-use plastic law, giving the 28 EU member countries two years to amend their national laws.
The directive bans single-use plastic plates, cutlery, straws, balloon sticks and cotton swabs by 2021. It sets a 90% collection target for plastic bottles by 2029, and it mandates that plastic bottles be made of at least 25% recycled plastic by 2025 and 30% by 2030.
Plastics Recycling Update, May 22, 2019.
Wit-woo — nice job, EU!
It’s the last Friday of the #WATWB, time to post those feel good stories. What makes you feel better than knowing there will be less plastic in the ocean now because of this EU law?
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pamlazos 5.31.19
Green Life Blue Water 
Did you hear this story Pam – I heard it mentioned by our local automotive reporter:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/31/ford-recycles1point2-billion-plastic-bottles-a-year-for-auto-parts.html
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Wow, I had not heard that, Linda. Recycled plastic and powered by renewable energy. Ford is rocking it! Thanks for sending it along.
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You’re welcome Pam. When I heard Jeff Gilbert, WWJ’s automotive reporter, telling about this worthwhile endeavor, I knew I had to send you the story. It is amazing just how many plastic bottles are used by Ford for their vehicles. (They could get a lot of them from Flint, Michigan as they had thousands, if not millions, of water bottles used during the Flint water crisis, but someone already used that idea and recycled it into fabric:. I remember hearing the story last year so I searched for it now:
http://flint-fit.com
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I think I need to do more research into this, Linda. It’s fascinating me because part of the problem with recycling is the lack of a post-recycling market. Thanks again for sharing it with me. 😘
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You’re welcome Pam. I listen to the Mitch Albom Show every day and he is always having guests who make a difference in helping our environment and I am sure that particular guest, or maybe a rep from the company, was on his show and that’s where I first heard about it. I can’t fathom how many water bottles they have and many people still use bottled water for drinking/cooking/brushing their teeth even though they say the water is safe.
I don’t blame them.
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The guy who wrote Tuesdays With Morrie, right Linda?
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Yes, that is the same guy Pam. He was a sports writer for the “The Detroit Free Press” for years but he only writes a Sunday column there now (some sports, some human interest features mostly). He will do sports mostly if it is a big event, but Detroit’s sports teams are all in rebuilding mode and no Super Bowls, World Series or Stanley Cup Finals in the cards for us. I never read that book, but saw the movie … Jack Lemmon played Morrie, Hank Azaria played Mitch. He has written several more books since then, a couple will become movies.
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I liked the book very much, Linda. He’s a good writer.
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Yes, he is. His human interest columns about people are good too. I am going to read that book one day as I enjoyed the movie.
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It was very moving.
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Good on the EU! Great post Pam. I was pleased to see cotton ear buds made of biodegradable materials alongside the other kind. O this was a relief! We’re walking up and it’s great to see stores phasing plastic OUT!
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It truly is although I haven’t heard back from any of my grocery stores about the suggestion to ditch single-use plastics. 😩
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Hi there Pam, yes indeed – every little step is a step forward! People power consists of voting with our money and our feet and governments eventually catch up. Great news out of the EU 🙂
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Thanks, Pauline. Vote with your feet! 🦶
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so glad we’re leaving the EU – it all now makes so much sense. It’s about time we took these small items seriously – like checking how much palm oil is in everything and micro-plastics in toothpaste etc. still every little step…
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Yes, baby steps are progress.
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Hi Pam – it keeps it out in the open … and I hope makes us think … and improve our own lives as far as conservation is concerned, thus taking more care of the environment … I just hope so!!
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🤞♥️
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Very cool, EU! And to think you started as a simple economic alliance. My how you’ve grown up!
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😂😂😂
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This is one for the EU, hope it holds together long enough to have an effect.
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Haha, true, Michael!
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You’re like my conscience Pam. Every time I read one of your posts I see some plastic item around the house and think about how to replace it.
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That’s awesome, Ken! Always let your conscience be your guide! 😂😂😂
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Good one, Pam. May there be more of this to come, and sooner than later. Thanks for sharing this on our WATWB.
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Thanks for stopping by, Simon.
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My pleasure 🙂
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Hi. I hadn’t known about the EU decisions. Good news for a change.
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And we can definitely use more of that, Neil.👌
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Yeah… Great job EU xxxxxxxxxxxx
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Yes, thanks, Shey! 😘😘😘
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And great job for always highlighting the more than ever need, to look after this planet, no matter how long its been around. In fact that now is more important than ever xxx
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Truer words, ay? 😘😍🥰
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Hi Pam – yes good for the EU … though we Brits are doing a huge amount too. I just hope the alternatives … ie heavy duty bags that we’re all buying are not worse. But we just need to be aware as individuals and always do our bit re staying clear of plastic and its variants. Thanks for reminding us … cheers Hilary
http://positiveletters.blogspot.com/2019/05/we-are-world-blogfest-25-lemon-tree.html
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That’s true, Hilary, but I wonder why, with all our collective brainpower, that we can’t come up with an alternative to using more trees because that’s not any better. I think the key is recycling and controlling the waste stream. Turning single-use plastic into a recyclable,!resalable commodity. Anyway, banning single-use is a start, eh? 💫 🌟 ⭐️
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