STORY: The European Union policy - which still needs final formal approval from EU countries - would introduce sweeping changes to the types of packaging allowed for use by food and drinks companies, restaurants and online retailers.
It would ban in the EU, from 2030, single-use plastic packaging items for fruit and vegetables, condiments in fast food restaurants, thin plastic bags for groceries and mini cosmetics bottles in hotels.
Countries would also be required to ensure that at least 90% of single-use plastic bottles and cans are collected each year from 2029, through deposit return systems, in an attempt to ensure more are recycled rather than put into landfill.
