The EU is playing a leading role in advocating for a high-ambition, legally binding global agreement under the UN process to end plastic pollution. Many of these policies can also be found in proposals submitted by the EU ahead of the May UN session on plastic waste: minimums on recycled content and reusable packaging, limits on the use of labels claiming biodegradability, and “eco-design” criteria that includes avoiding empty space and promoting durable and refillable packaging
The small island states most negatively impacted by marine plastic waste are also calling for better design and reuse.
In some South American countries, for example, Coca-Cola sells over 60% of its products in refillable packaging. Many other nations were ahead in restricting single-use plastic bags: Bangladesh was the first to introduce a total ban in 2002, while the EU’s directive only encourages reductions. And several US states have deposit-return schemes, known locally as “bottle bills,” which encourage consumers to return containers for a small refund. In the EU, they are currently standard only in Germany.