Le nuove strategie per le materie plastiche tra economia circolare e lotta al cambiamento climatico

This Paper analyzes policy and environment evolution related to plastic pollution. The initial fragmented and segmented approach has been substituted by a more organic one, but this is not able to cover all the steps of plastic products’ life cycle and it is only restricted to some negative effects generated by plastic waste. The European Union, issuing the directive UE 2019/904, adds this new regulation to the circular economy package and its target is to minimize plastic production and consumption adopting some product selling prohibitions and restrictions, providing incentives for research of alternative and biodegradable products, increasing the recycling and the accountability of the manufactures. The new strategy also includes the goal to reduce the plastic waste at sea and on European shores protecting the biodiversity of Oceans. However the new regulation contains several issues and limitations: the scope of application is limited to certain plastics and some disposable plastic items; it does not overcome the economic rationale, the goal of which is the creation of a sustainable market capable to increase wealth and employment for European companies and it does not link the fighting against the plastic abuse to combat climate change. This last prospective could support to identify new policy instruments recovering a central role played by the States and the by the Public Law finding new commercial agreements at international level.