THE EU should adopt tough new measures to improve plastic waste recycling and keep bags and other plastic rubbish out of our seas, London Green MEP Jean Lambert has said.
Speaking to mark World Oceans Day (1), and as an EU consultation on future rules regarding plastic waste disposal (2) closed, she said:
“Our Oceans make up the vast majority of The Earth’s surface, and are home to millions of much loved creatures – yet they are under increasing stress from human activity.
“The EU is at the forefront of trying to manage the oceans sustainably: this year alone we have seen progressive new rules banning ‘shark finning’ and outlawing the dumping of dead, unwanted, fish at sea.
“Next year we will see new EU legislation on the disposal and recycling of plastic waste, and I hope these new rules will have tackling plastic’s increasing impact on the marine environment as a key element.
“Protecting our seas isn’t just about regulating what we take from them, it’s about what we put into them too.”
Ms Lambert made her comments as she visited the Greenpeace vessel ‘Arctic Sunrise’ at a London Docklands event to mark World Oceans Day.
She added: “The EU has as key a role to play in protecting our oceans, and all the species that call them home, as do the committed activists from organisations like Greenpeace, Sea Shepherd and the Shark Alliance.”