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Good news for European nature lovers: The EU is about to get a lot more green. As part of a sweeping effort to reduce waste, the union is looking to make all packaging recyclable in less than 15 years.
To reach this ambitious goal, members are investing in new technologies and creating distinct guidelines for eliminating all single use products to gently nudge citizens into an eco friendly state of mind.
The move was apparently motivated by China's recent announcement to commit to making our planet a priority.
The country, which was at one time the world’s biggest importer of plastic waste, has prohibited all foreign garbage imports, beginning this past January.
Frans Timmermans, the vice president of the commission, is hopeful that once educated, people will feel inspired to embrace environmentalism.
“If children knew what the effects are of using single-use plastic straws for drinking sodas, or whatever, they might reconsider and use paper straws or no straws at all,” he told The Guardian.
To make living a greener lifestyle even easier, the commission will provide easy access to tap water throughout Europe to dissuade people from buying plastic bottles, and educate member states on how to sort and recycle plastic.
The EU is also looking to implement new labels for plastic containers so consumers are aware of what to recycle as well.
Over the past few years, nations around the world have began to make the necessary moves to clean up our planet. Here’s hoping the world will see a greener future, setting an example for years to come.
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