Amsterdam is considering a ban on disposable packaging as part of efforts to tackle litter, including coffee cups, fast-food containers, and other single-use plastics. These items account for 30 percent of all litter, according to Lian Heinhuis, the city’s alderman for waste management and cleaning.
Measures already in place, including more frequent street cleaning and requiring businesses to clear litter around their premises, have failed to keep the city consistently clean. Single-use plastic waste is especially prevalent in busy areas that attract large numbers of visitors.
“Waste piles up around trash bins and on the streets, while the solution is right in front of us: ending the throwaway culture. A ban on the use of disposable packaging is a realistic option,” Heinhuis said.
Research commissioned by the municipality found that a ban would be legally feasible, although it would be a measure of last resort. It could only be introduced alongside efforts to establish a system of reusable takeaway packaging and collection points where customers could return the containers.
Heinhuis will develop a plan to work toward that goal. “Our goal is clear: a city without litter, where reuse is the norm,” she said.
