Greece aims to eradicate singe-use plastic by July 2021

Volunteers mobilized by the A.C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation pick up trash on the beach of Schinias, a protected wetland northeast of Athens, on Saturday. The foundation has launched a campaign to eradicate single-use plastic in cooperation with the Environment Ministry. Speaking from Schinias on Saturday, Environment Minister Kostis Hatzidakis said Greece will adopt a European Union directive banning single-use plastic items such as straws, forks and knives this month with the aim of phasing them out by July 2021. Greeks use an estimated 1 million plastic coffee cups each day, the minister said. [ANA-MPA]