Packaging rule · European Union · Ban
SUP Directive: ban on single-use plastic cutlery, plates, straws and EPS containers
Ban covering single-use plastic in the European Union, set by European Parliament and Council of the EU. Applies since 3 July 2021.
The rule
Recorded from the official source named below. Rates and dates are as the source states them on the date it was consulted.
- Jurisdiction
- European Union
- Authority
- European Parliament and Council of the EU
- Rule type
- Ban
- Materials
- Single-use plastic
- Status
- In force Enacted
- Adopted or published
- 5 June 2019
- Applies from
- 3 July 2021
From the source“Article 5 from 3 July 2021,”
Official source EUR-Lex: Directive (EU) 2019/904Official (government or regulator) · consulted 13 October 2026
Key dates
Adopted or published 7 years ago
Applies from 5 years ago
Source consulted by the SPI team today
Re-checked by a second SPI team member today
What it means
SPI analysis Our reading of the official source above. Not legal advice; always rely on the official text.
SPI summary
Since 3 July 2021 Member States must ban placing on the market single-use plastic cutlery, plates, straws, stirrers, balloon sticks, cotton buds, expanded polystyrene food and drink containers and cups, and oxo-degradable plastic products.
In practice
Directive (EU) 2019/904 required Member States to prohibit placing on the market the single-use plastic products in Part B of its Annex from 3 July 2021, together with products made of oxo-degradable plastic (Articles 5 and 17). For packaging and foodservice businesses the most relevant items are expanded polystyrene food containers, beverage containers and cups, plus cutlery, plates, straws and stirrers. Because 'plastic' and 'single-use plastic product' are defined broadly (Article 3), products made only partly of plastic can also be caught.
Who is in scope
- Single-use plastic cotton bud sticks, cutlery, plates, straws, beverage stirrers and balloon sticks (Annex Part B).
- Expanded polystyrene food containers for immediate consumption, beverage containers including caps and lids, and cups including covers and lids (Annex Part B).
- Products made of oxo-degradable plastic (Article 5).
- Products made wholly or partly of plastic not designed for multiple trips or rotations (Article 3).
Who is not
- Cotton bud sticks and straws within the medical device Directives 90/385/EEC or 93/42/EEC.
- Balloon sticks for industrial or professional uses not distributed to consumers.
- Materials made of unmodified natural polymers, which fall outside the 'plastic' definition (Article 3).
What to do and by when
- NowCheck each Member State's transposing law for its exact wording and any additional national bans.
- NowReview whether paper-based or bio-based alternatives contain plastic layers or coatings that bring them into scope.
- 1 January 2030Map overlap with the PPWR Article 25 restrictions on single-use plastic packaging formats.
Related rules
- PR-EU-008 PPWR: restrictions on certain single-use packaging formats
PPWR restrictions on further single-use plastic packaging formats from 2030. - PR-FR-002 France AGEC: bans on disposable straws, cutlery and other single-use items
France's AGEC bans cover similar items at national level. - PR-GB-006 England ban on single-use plastic plates, cutlery and polystyrene food containers
England's 2023 ban covers similar plates, cutlery and polystyrene containers. - PR-GB-007 Wales Single-use Plastic Products Act 2023
Wales's 2023 Act bans similar single-use items. - PR-CA-001 Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations (SOR/2022-138)
Canada's federal single-use plastics ban is the same rule type elsewhere.
Where the record is unclear
- National transposition and enforcement differ by Member State and were not checked for this note.
- How the directive's bans will interact with PPWR Article 25 from 2030 was not confirmed against the operative PPWR text.
Sources for this note
- EUR-Lex: Directive (EU) 2019/904 Consulted 13 October 2026
Note written by the SPI team on 13 October 2026.
Where it sits in the tracker
- One of 18 packaging rules we track in the European Union, of which 2 are ban rules.
- In all, 17 ban rules are tracked across 11 jurisdictions. Compare them below
Company profiles that map to this rule
Companies whose SPI profile lists this rule in its regulatory exposure, based on where they report selling. Not company-reported.
Change history
Verified: a second SPI team member re-checked every fact above against the source on 13 October 2026. Any later change to the facts sends the rule back to Sourced and is logged here.
Verified by a second SPI team member
Changed: quote
Added to the tracker
Spotted an error? Write to sales@strategicpackaginginsights.com quoting PR-EU-014 and the source. Corrections are logged in this history.
Ban rules elsewhere
The same type of rule for the same materials in other jurisdictions, by the date it applies.
Ask the SPI team
Does this rule apply to your packs?
Tell us your products, materials and markets. An analyst maps the obligations, fees and deadlines that apply, with every source.
Prefer email? Write to sales@strategicpackaginginsights.com.
- Q1
Which packaging rules apply to us in each market we sell in?
We map each market's EPR, tax, ban, recycled-content, labelling and deposit rules against your materials and formats, and show which are in force, adopted or only proposed.
- Q2
What could EPR fees and plastic taxes cost us next year?
We apply published fee tables and tax rates to your tonnages and recycled content, and show the result as scenarios with every rate sourced.
- Q3
Can you tell us when a rule changes?
Yes. The free tracker alerts cover rule changes by country; a monitoring retainer adds monthly notes on what the changes mean for your portfolio.