Global Latest Plastic Ban and Restriction Policy Express.

International legally binding agreement on plastic pollution led by the United Nations Environment Programme.

INC-4， The fourth intergovernmental negotiating committee meeting was held in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada from April 23 to 29, 2024. This meeting is aimed at continuing efforts to reach an international legally binding agreement on plastic pollution. Representatives from 175 countries participated in this conference to promote the achievement of this common goal. During the conference, Canada announced the creation of a federal plastics registry to provide reliable data to help track the production and life-cycle of plastics, thereby further reducing plastic waste and pollution. In addition, Canada has announced investments both domestically and internationally to address plastic pollution and promote a circular economy. The fifth and final negotiation meeting (INC-5) will be held in Busan, South Korea from November 25th to December 1st, 2024.

Multiple countries and regions have taken action to restrict and ban plastics.

Hong Kong, China

Announced a ban on plastic from April 22, 2024, with a six-month enforcement buffer period.

U.S.A

The Biden administration announced that it will emphasize alternatives to single use plastics in government procurement, and this regulation will take effect on July 8, 2024.

The US Department of the Interior announced that it will gradually ban disposable plastic products on federal lands under its jurisdiction, including national parks. Gradually ban disposable plastic products and plastic packaging within the public land under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior by 2032.

U.S.A Plastic Ban and Restriction Policy

The United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates will implement a plastic ban starting from 2024, which will be gradually implemented in two stages:

Phase 1 (from January 1, 2024):

Import, production, circulation, and use of all disposable plastic bags are prohibited. Exceptions are made in specific circumstances, such as thin plastic bags used for packaging meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, grains, bread, etc., garbage bags, and plastic bag products used for export or re export.

Phase 2 (from January 1, 2026):

The ban will be extended to all disposable plastic products, including soft drink cups and covers, tableware, plates, straws, mixers, food containers, plastic bottles, packaging, wet wipes, cotton swabs, balloon sticks, plastic boxes and foam plastic boxes.

South Korea

Starting from September 2024, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will implement a new version of waste management regulations, prohibiting the use of disposable plastic products in events held by the city government with an expected attendance of over 1000 people.

The Republic of Korea Plastic Ban and Restriction Policy

Germany

1、 Implementation of Plastic Tax

Germany originally planned to start levying a "plastic tax" on January 1, 2024, but according to the latest information, the German government has postponed the implementation of the plastic tax until January 1, 2025. This decision is to develop effective solutions with as little bureaucracy as possible.

2、 Scope and Tax Rates

The scope of application of plastic tax covers the sale of some disposable plastic products (EWK), which are entirely or partially composed of plastic (i.e. polymer). The focus is on EWK in the food industry, such as food containers with and without lids, film packaging with up to 3 liters of food or beverage containers or cups, etc.

New Zealand

Ban on disposable plastic food bags: Starting from July 1, 2024, New Zealand prohibits shopping malls and supermarkets from providing or selling disposable plastic food bags.

Ban on disposable plastic tableware and plastic straws: Starting from July 1, 2024, New Zealand prohibits shopping malls and supermarkets from providing or selling disposable plastic tableware and plastic straws.

New Zealand Plastic Ban and Restriction Policy

Vietnam

Prohibiting the import of waste plastics: According to the regulations of the Vietnamese government, starting from December 31, 2024, Vietnam will prohibit the import of waste plastics for reuse.

Plastic Waste Management Plan: The Vietnamese government has also released the National Action Plan for Marine Plastic Waste Management by 2030, aiming to reduce marine plastic waste by 75%. The plan includes strengthening the collection, classification, recycling, and disposal of plastic waste.

List of Plastic Ban Policies in Various Countries

Time	Country	Content
January 2018	Britain	Eliminate all avoidable plastic waste by 2042.
January 2018	Spain	Nationwide ban on free provision of polluting biodegradable plastic bags.
January 2019	South Korea	Publish the "Amendment to the Law on Saving Resources and Promoting Resource Recycling and Utilization", which comprehensively prohibits the use of disposable plastic bags.
February 2019	Chile	Supermarkets and shopping malls prohibit providing plastic bags to shoppers, with a maximum fine of $370 for each illegal plastic bag provided.
July 2019	U.S.A	New York City restaurants will no longer be able to use disposable foam lunch boxes.
July 2019	Costa Rica	The Amendment to the Law on "Comprehensive Treatment of Wastes" prohibits the use of polyethylene foam plastics, prohibits the use of plastic straws, and does not allow retail outlets to provide consumers with plastic bags.
July 2019	New Zealand	The retail industries such as shopping malls, supermarkets, and clothing will completely ban the use of disposable plastic shopping bags, and impose a maximum fine of 100000 New Zealand dollars for serious violations.
2020	France	Prohibit the use of disposable tableware.
2020	Greece	Prohibit the use of disposable plastic products.
2020	Canada	Prohibit plastic straws. Plastic bags will be banned from January 1, 2021.
2020	european union	The EU will implement a plastic tax in 2021, imposing a tax on disposable plastic packaging. The tax rate will be 0.8 euros per kilogram, which is 800 yuan per ton.