Europe is cracking down on single-use items and some of your must haves could get a little hard to come by.
The European Commission wants to ban 10 items that make up 70% of all the litter in the water and on the beach. This includes plastic plates and silverware, drink stirrers, straws and cotton balls.
In addition to banning popular plastic products, the commission also wants to hold plastic producers more accountable. It’s calling for them to bear the cost of waste management and cleanup efforts and launch new recycling programs. The commission estimates these rules could cost businesses more than three billion dollars a year but they could also avoid twenty-five billion dollars in environmental damage and cleanup costs.
Not surprisingly the proposal is facing criticism from the plastics industry. Companies say there should be more resources dedicated to waste management and recycling. They say plastic product bans are not a long-term solution. Now the idea goes to the member states and european parliament.
Who knows, your next trip to europe might require a few more carry on items.
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CBS News Radio national business journalist Brian Banmiller has spent more than 40 years in the news industry, covering business, politics and the economy on television, radio and in print. Currently, his “Banmiller on Business” reports are delivered to an audience of millions nationwide.
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