The European Union is weighing ambitious new rules that would reduce or outright prohibit many everyday single-use plastic items.
Unveiled Monday by the European Commission, the proposed measures target the top 10 plastic products most often found on Europe’s beaches.
Some of these items — like plastic straws, cotton buds, plates and disposable cutlery — will be banned completely under the new rules, which require the approval of the European Parliament and all 28 EU member states.