The Slovenian government has banned the sale of most single-use plastic products, according to local media reports. Outlawed products include plastic cutlery, plates, straws and ear swabs – except those intended for medical use – and plastic stir sticks and balloon sticks, except those intended for industrial use.

The new regulation, in line with the EU SUP directive (see Plasteurope.com of 08.07.2021), also prohibits food and drink packaging made of polystyrene, as well as items made of oxo-degradable plastics. The ban is to come into effect 15 days after its publication in the official gazette.

The country has also introduced new rules for labelling some SUP products and packaging to inform consumers about better waste management and disposal. These products include pads, tampons and applicators, wet wipes, tobacco products with filters, filters marketed with tobacco products, and cups. This implementing regulation provides a transitional period of one year.

Non-compliance with the new regulations can lead to fines of up to EUR 15,000 for legal entities, up to EUR 5,000 for sole proprietors and up to EUR 3,000 for the executive or proprietor in charge.

In July 2021, an assessment of Europe’s progress in phasing out SUPs by NGOs Zero Waste Europe (Brussels / Belgium; www.zerowasteeurope.eu), Surfrider Europe (Biarritz / France; www.surfrider.eu), Seas At Risk (Brussels; www.seas-at-risk.org) and Rethink Plastic Alliance (Brussels; www.rethinkplasticalliance.eu) found that Slovenia ranked among the “red” countries that had barely begun or delayed the process (see Plasteurope.com of 21.07.2021).

According to a study on household waste recycling in Europe, Slovenia recorded a 164% surge between 2010 and 2019 (see Plasteurope.com of 28.07.2021).