Croatia to eradicate single-use plastics

ZAGREB, 28 March 2019 – Croatia will comply with the European and international practice and gradually impose bans on single-use plastic goods, Environment Protection and Energy Minister Tomislav Ćorić said on Thursday morning.  

The European parliament voted on Wednesday to ban single-use plastic cutlery, cotton buds, straws and stirrers as part of a sweeping law against plastic waste that despoils beaches and oceans. 

“Single-use plastics should be simply eradicated from the environment and Croatia will follow the best European and world-wide practices in making this happen”, Ćorić said ahead of a government sitting this morning, before adding.  

“We want to be a country that will continue to be one of the top countries for tourism in Europe and the world, which means protecting the environment of Croatia without any alternatives, and we will be insisting on it,” he said. 

The vote by MEPs paves the way for a ban on single-use plastics to come into force by 2021 in all EU member states. EU member states will have to introduce measures to reduce the use of plastic food containers and plastic lids for hot drinks. 

As well as plastic cutlery, cotton buds, straws and stirrers, the directive will ban single-use polystyrene cups and those made from oxo-degradable plastics.  

By 2025, plastic bottles should be made of 25% recycled content, and by 2029 90% of them should be recycled.

This month, the Croatian island of Zlarin signed a charter to ban single-use plastics. The signing of the charter is a promise from businesses to never use single-use plastics such as plastic bags, plates, cutlery, straws and cups, and to support and promote the project ‘Zlarin – plastic-free island’ during all cultural-entertainment events on the island.