Single-use plastic waste effects our health negatively

Cyprus International University (CIU) Faculty of Engineering Academic Staff Assist. Prof. Dr. İme Akanyeti, stating that single-use plastics have been banned from use from 3rd July 2021 by the European Union (EU) countries, also made some statements in relation to single-use plastic products in the TRNC.

Explaining that the EU has put into effect the Single-Use Plastics Directive from 2nd July 2019, Akanyeti added that the EU aims to reduce the negative impact on the environment that is created by the increasing use of single-use plastics across the world while contributing to the circular economy.

Within the scope of this directive, Assist. Prof. Dr. Akanyeti advised that valid from 3rd July, the use of single-use plastics such as forks, spoons, plates, ear-cleaners etc. Will be banned from market sale in all EU countries, and went on to state, “Additionally, it is aimed to collect 77% of plastic bottles by 2025 and 90% by 2029, including recyclable bottles, separate from their source”.

Reminding that from December 2018, the TRNC made it compulsory for a plastic shopping bags to be sold at a price, Akanyeti went on to advise, "However, due to the lack of inspection, this obligation is not being implemented, unfortunately, at many points”.

Discussing the fact that at many markets, the plastic bags used in the sale of fruit and vegetables are given for free, Akanyeti added that there have not been any other different legal regulations or limitations on the use of single-use plastics.

Akanyeti stated that in the TRNC generally, there are no comprehensive efforts in the recycling of plastic waste and that a majority of the plastic wastes are disposed of by landfills or wild landfills.

Highlighting the fact that biologically, plastic waste requires hundreds of years to degrade, Akanyeti stated, “In sources of soil and water, plastic separates into particles called micro and nano. Scientific work has shown that these particles are included in our nutritional chain as pollutants”.

Emphasizing that these particles especially affect the sea life negatively, Akanyeti concluded, “It is for this reason that we should reduce our plastic use and it is very important that the necessary legal regulations need to be made and put into implementation to include plastic waste in recycling”.