The sale of single-use plastic products is prohibited

From mid-summer, the placing on the market of certain single-use plastic products and products made from oxidatively degradable plastic will be banned. Government Decree 301/2021 (VI. 1.) will enter into force on 1 July 2021, with the exception of the traditional plastic drinking cup. The latter are subject to a grace period, so the ban will not enter into force until 1 January 2023. Also from 1 July, the placing on the market of lightweight plastic bags with a wall thickness of 15 microns and above, except those made of biodegradable plastic, will be prohibited.

Under the Regulation, the following single-use plastic products can no longer be placed on the market from 1 July:

1.1. Cotton swabs;

1.2. Cutlery (forks, knives, spoons, chopsticks);

1.3. Plates;

1.4. Straws;

1.5. Drink stirring sticks;

1.6. Balloon accessories, excluding balloons intended for industrial or other professional use and applications not sold to the consumer, including a device for attaching the balloon to the rod;

1.7. Food containers, in particular boxes with or without a cover, of expanded polystyrene, intended for the storage of food which is

• intended for immediate consumption, either on-the-spot or take-away,
• typically consumed from the receptacle,,
• ready to be consumed without any further preparation, such as cooking, boiling or heating, including food containers used for fast food or other meal ready for immediate consumption, except beverage containers, plates and packets and wrappers containing food. 

1.8. Drink container made of expanded polystyrene, including cap and lid;

1.9. Drinking cup made of expanded polystyrene, including cover and lid.

Considering that the Regulation prohibits placing on the market, which means the first placing on the market of products, the Regulation does not exclude the possibility that items already placed on the market may be marketed after 1 July 2021 until stocks are exhausted (e.g. the trader, restaurant, etc. is entitled to make his stocks available in return for payment or free of charge).

Regardless of their material, there are products that are not covered by the Regulation. These products, such as special medical drinking cups for young children or straws and sticks for medical purposes, can still be placed on the market.

Sanctions:

Environmental product charges

The new categories that will be introduced on 1 July 2021 will also lead to changes in the product charge rates.