California was the first in the United States to limit the use of plastic straws in restaurants

Governor of California Jerry Brown was the first head of the head in the United States to sign a bill to restrict the use of plastic straws in restaurants. This was reported by the Associated Press , noting that the law has been going into force since 2019.

"Plastic helped our society to become more modern, but excessive passion for disposable products due to its convenience has terrible consequences," the agency quoted the governor as saying. According to the new legislation, restaurants will be forbidden to accompany drinks with plastic tubes, but waiters will be able to give them to customers in case of an urgent request. In turn, San Francisco and Seattle earlier this year completely abandoned the use of plastic straws.

For non -compliance with the law, two warnings will first be issued to restaurants, however, a fine of $ 25 will be imposed on each subsequent violation on them. Moreover, the amount of penalties should not exceed 300 dollars per year. The agency indicates that the accepted measure does not apply to fast food restaurants.

The Democrats supporting the reform consider her a step forward in the fight against pollution of the oceans. At the same time, republican lawmakers consider the reform a "dishonest punishment" of restaurants. California is at the forefront of the American states in efforts to protect the environment, in particular, to combat disposable plastic products. In 2014, the state authorities were the first in the country to ban the use of plastic bags. The author of the bill Ian Calderon cited the data according to which, from 1988 to 2014, more than 800 thousand straws were collected, which were thrown ashore with the waters of the Pacific Ocean, were collected during the beaches of the state. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, more than 30 million tons of plastic per year are produced in the country, most of which is not subjected to processing.

At the beginning of the year, it became known that the Iceland supermarket network in the UK will be the first in the world to abandon the plastic packaging of all its goods. Such a step that has more than 900 stores is designed to put pressure on competitors and force them to follow their example in connection with the requirements of the public, which requires reducing environmental pollution.

Earlier, the company has developed a five -year plan for the complete rejection of plastic in the package of all products of its own brand. The changes will affect more than 250 network suppliers and require overhabiting 1400 packaging lines. The first of the circulation will be plastic trays and pallets for ready -made food, they will be replaced with a packaging from the processed wood mass of British production. Then, next in line, plastic bags used for frozen vegetables and other foods, paper bags will be replaced.

The British Prime Minister Teresa May set a term of 25 years, during which the country should get rid of all the plastic, which can be dispensed with, and called for supermarkets to install special cash desks for buyers without plastic packaging. Following the introduction of fees for plastic bags for purchases, the country is preparing to get rid of plastic in the packaging of goods to the maximum. Note that the use of plastic bags is completely or partially prohibited in more than 40 countries of the world.