The European Parliament has recently voted on a proposal to ban single use plastics entirely and drastically cut down on other types of waste materials by 2021. This vote has come nearly a year after the United Nations declared a “war on ocean plastic” as researchers have consistently pointed out the dangers of pollution in our oceans.

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The proposal seeks to rid the EU of items like plastic straws, shopping bags and plastic silverware. All of these items can wreak havoc in a delicate environment like the ocean where it eventually breaks down and returns in the fish we catch and eat. The Parliament’s idea is also targeting plastic containers that do not have viable alternatives which could not be banned outright. Instead, there have been specific goals set on the amount of waste material that can be created when found on beaches or elsewhere, the companies responsible for their sale will pay for them to be collected and disposed of. One specific goal is to recycle ninety percent of all disposable drink bottles. The proposals that Parliament has accepted are ambitious by any standard even with the global community getting on board with cleaning up the oceans.

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It is clear that the amount of plastic in the ocean is on route for catastrophic levels and the outlook set by current standards is bleak. It is estimated that there will be more plastic waste than fish by mass in the ocean by 2050. Also, the amount of seabirds ingesting plastics from the ocean is expected to rise to ninety percent, a clearly alarming growth rate. It has become apparent that the future cost of cleaning up today’s mess will be billions upon billions of dollars and years of work. This means that the decision to halt the problem at its source is likely a good first step. The goal of this proposal is a noble one and the global community is accepting that the responsibility falls on all people but it must be the duty of international organizations and governments to ensure the abuse of our environment stops for the sake of all species.

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It is a positive sign that this vote was overwhelmingly supportive with nearly ten times more votes in favor of the proposal than against it. The scientific community is hopeful that their work will be taken seriously and the global community will follow suit with more strict regulations ensuring the health of the world’s oceans.