Parliament Approves Ban on Selected Plastic Disposable Products

Bratislava, November 27 (TASR) – Parliament on Wednesday approved the Environment Ministry’s amendment to the law on waste that aims to ensure that certain plastic disposable products will disappear from the Slovak market and that burning waste collected for recycling is prohibited.

As of 2021, it will be illegal to sell plastic plates, cutlery, drink stirrers, straws, balloon sticks, cotton buds, cups and beverage packaging made out of expanded polystyrene. The ban also concerns oxo-degradable plastics, as these aren’t biodegradable and degrade into microplastics, which pollute the environment.

Towns that are currently exempted from forcing their inhabitants to separate biowaste will also be subjected to the changes, as such exemptions won’t be possible as of 2023.

In addition, waste-collection lorries will have to be equipped with a weighing mechanism and will have to report the weight of waste collected.