MADRID—Oceana calls for ambitious legal measures to protect the Spanish seas from the plague of single-use plastics. In its contribution to the public consultation of the Draft Law on Waste and Contaminated Soils, the organization calls for measures such as prohibiting the release of balloons, eliminating disposable cups and containers from certain environments, promoting return systems and applying a finalist tax to the plastic of a only use.
The law that will come out of this consultative process will be the key piece for the transposition of Directive 2019/904 of the European Union (EU), which will ban products such as cutlery, plates, straws, drink stirrers and balloon sticks from 2021.
The director of the Oceana Plastics Campaign in Europe, Natividad Sánchez, affirms that “with more than 1 million square kilometers, Spain is the second country with the largest sea surface in the EU and the one that dumps the most plastic: 126 tons daily [i]. The Waste Law cannot tiptoe over this. Single-use plastics are a growing problem and we need an ambitious law that goes beyond the minimum set by the EU. Our seas are drowning in plastic.”
Oceana’s requests include:
• Include reduction targets for wipes in the standard, and do away with plastic rings on beverage packs. Prohibit the release of balloons, since they constitute the most deadly plastic waste for birds, turtles and cetaceans.
• Eliminate the use of disposable cups and food containers inside Administration buildings and restaurants and bars. Favor deposit, return and return systems to eliminate their use of other environments, such as outdoor events.
• Set objectives in the marketing of refillable containers so that they represent at least 70% of the market in 2025. A study by Oceana indicates that reducing 10% of single-use bottles of soft drinks and water would reduce by 22% the number of bottles that reach the sea.
• Introduce a special tax that taxes single-use plastic products, with the exception of the elements of sanitary component or prevention for health. This measure would force companies in the sector to look for more sustainable alternatives. Proceeds should go to address the problem of deep-sea litter, fund returnable systems and promote awareness measures.
All in all, Pilar Marín, Oceana’s senior marine scientist in Europe, acknowledges that “the Government has made many national and international commitments to reduce plastic pollution, but now is the time to launch this line of action. It is the most efficient way to respond to the climate emergency and reach “zero residue” in 2050, in addition to safeguarding the health of the seas of Spain and its resources throughout the process.”
In this way, the organization for the conservation of the oceans urges the Executive to focus on the reduction of marine litter and the arrival of plastics in the sea, speeding up actions to reduce the presence of plastics in the environment, as they harm seriously affect marine biodiversity and affect fundamental economic activities such as fishing. And, according to data from the Ministry for Ecological Transition, plastic continues to be the most frequent waste on the Spanish coasts (73.3%), with a great difference compared to other materials.
Percentage of marine litter in 2019 according to the results report of the Marine Litter Monitoring Program on Spanish beaches (Source: MITECO 2019)
Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana is rebuilding abundant and biodiverse oceans by winning science-based policies in countries that control one-third of the world’s wild fish catch. With more than 225 victories that stop overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution, and the killing of threatened species like turtles and sharks, Oceana’s campaigns are delivering results. A restored ocean means that 1 billion people can enjoy a healthy seafood meal, every day, forever. Together, we can save the oceans and help feed the world. Visit www.oceana.org to learn more.