The European Union could soon move to ban single use plastics which include small shampoo bottles in hotels, mayo or ketchup packets and even coffee takeaway cups. 

European Commissioners Frans Timmermans (Green Deal) and Virginijus Sinkevičius (Environment) made these proposals in a bill to reduce packaging waste, the NOS reports. 

The EC wants to ban cafes and coffee shops from using disposable cups when customers drink their beverage on site. The target date is 2040, with an aim of having 80% of takeaway cups being reusable by then. 

Disposable packaging won’t be allowed in restaurants and fast food chains if customers eat on the spot. Food and drink packaging are t be reusable and refillable more often. 

Meanwhile, beer sellers must sell 10% of their drinks in refillable bottles by 2030, and 20% by ten years later. this also includes a ban on fruit in foam trays covered with plastic. 

Other items being targeted are large delivery boxes containing small products and any material that remains after these changes must be as recyclable or degradable as possible. 

This plan should decrease packaging waste per EU resident by 15% in 2040 when compared to 2018. The bill still has to pass through the EP and the individual member states, and could take at least 3 years for implementation. 

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