Hungary to ban single-use plastics from July 1, 2021

Hungary will ban single-use plastics from July 1, 2021, half a year later than originally planned, the head of the Prime Minister's Office, Gergely Gulyas, said on Thursday. He added that in the current difficult economic situation, the ban must be introduced in a way that does not endanger jobs. The new date was set after talks between Minister of Innovation and Technology Laszlo Palkovics, key players in the sector and the MPs of the constituencies concerned, Gulyas said, adding that the ban would affect plastic products above a thickness of 15 microns. Hungary's ban will be even stricter than what is prescribed by the European Union, he said, noting that the EU directive mandates a ban on plastics above 50 microns. "This is in line with our commitment represented in our green policy," Gulyas said. The government will make 10 billion forints (EUR 29m) available to the sector to smooth the way for the change in technologies, he added.