Cyprus reports high single-use plastic consumption in EU commission study

A 2022 report from the European Commission on the Single-Use Plastics Directive reveals that Cyprus has the second-highest per capita consumption of single-use plastic bottles in the EU at 16.6 bottles. Malta ranks first with 22.8 bottles per person. Cyprus recorded a separate collection rate for beverage bottles of 45.62 per cent, which is significantly lower than the EU average of 71 per cent. Several nations, including Germany, Finland, Denmark, Poland, Croatia, and Slovakia, have already met the 2025 collection target of 77 per cent, largely by utilizing deposit return systems. In 2022, the EU market saw 524,003 tonnes of disposable food containers and 152,037 tonnes of disposable beverage cups. Furthermore, 22,900 tonnes of plastic-containing fishing gear were introduced, with approximately one-third collected as waste. The directive aims to mitigate marine pollution by banning items such as cotton buds, cutlery, plates, and straws.