From 2024, the Netherlands will ban the use of single-use plastic cups and plastic packaging in catering establishments, festivals or on-site meals in offices, Vivianne Heijnen, state secretary at the Netherlands' Ministry of Environment, wrote in a letter to the Second House of Representatives. Reusable cups and plates will be the norm by then.
"Every day, in the Netherlands alone, we throw away 19 million single-use cups and food packaging. We cannot continue to burden future generations. A shift from single-use to reuse is needed," says Heijen. "In this way, we avoid plastic soup and handle raw materials more carefully, leaving a cleaner world."
The ban only affects on-site purchases - if you're dining at restaurants or festivals - and doesn't affect takeaways. From 2024, washable coffee mugs, glasses and plates will be the norm in restaurants, canteens, events and offices.
There is also a "but" to this story. However, companies can choose to continue to use single-use plastic cups and plastic meal packaging "without restriction if they can recycle 75-90% for reprocessing." Plus, healthcare facilities are excluded.
The Netherlands will also implement a ban on takeaway coffee free cups and takeaway free packaging in 2023. "By July 2023, for out-of-home consumption and takeaways, the cost of plastic single-use cups and meal packaging will have to be paid in addition to the price of the coffee or meal.
