The European SUP (Single Use Plastic) directive risks penalising Italian industry and has been criticised by the Italian executive because it bans biodegradable and compostable plastics, on which our country is at the forefront.
Confindustria also criticised the guidelines for the application of the directive approved by the Commission, which extend the ban to products covered by less than 10% plastic.
On the issue, the Minister for Ecological Transition, Roberto Cingolani, explained on Radio 24 that: “The agreement is that we will continue to review the guidelines according to new technological solutions, and it has been recognised that if I have a paper cup that is 90% paper and 10% plastic, they don’t weigh it as all plastic, but they recognise that there is only 10%.”
“We all agree that plastic should be reduced. There is no discussion on this point. When I arrived a few months ago,” the minister added, “I read the guidelines and I found one point quite questionable: in the end the only plastic that is allowed is recyclable plastic. This means that we continue to produce plastics which, even if delayed by recycling, will one day become waste. On the other hand, all other plastics, even the most modern ones, those based on vegetable fibres, have been defined as non-usable. This reflects a rather old reading of recent technologies.
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