Fixed plastic school bags are a success, but DF politician wants them removed: 'I continue the fight'

It is hardly possible to ignore that they have received a hard reception.

The screw caps on plastic bottles and drink cartons with the small ring that holds the lid in place have been damaged and ridiculed.

However, something suggests that they are not quite as angry as they have been criticized for being.

On the contrary, they show themselves to be a great success. At least if one looks at the positive consequences for the environment.

According to new figures from nonprofit organization Danish Return System, 99 percent of all returned bottles now come back with the plastic lid attached. Previously, it was only 90 percent of the returned bottles where the lid followed.

However, this does not change Anders Vistisen's opinion of the screw caps. He is a member of the European Parliament for the Danish People's Party and is one of the critics of the lids.

Since an EU directive in the summer of 2024 made it a legal requirement that plastic screw caps on bottles and cartons be secured, he has been fighting to have them abolished again.

On social media, the EU politician has previously called it a "symbolic legislation that does not have the large environmental effect."

A position that he now repeats in P1 Morgen (https://www.dr.dk/lyd/p1/p1-morgen/p1-morgen-2025/p1-morgen-11802533084 ), despite the new figures from Danish Return System, which point to the fact that the lids have had a positive effect.

"Our criticism was that they did not take hold of the root. That is, where most plastic pollutes the world's oceans, but instead took symbolic political measures regarding plastic straws and lids in Europe," he says.

According to the EU politician, it would have had much greater effect to invest the amount of time, energy, and money that has been used on EU measures, in developing countries, where plastic is particularly prevalent.

What this, DF's Anders Vistisen would like to have abolished again. (Photo: © Thomas Traasdahl, Ritzau Scanpix)

The new figures therefore do not change the fact that the lids should be abolished, as they leave an enormous bureaucratic burden on consumers and in the business world, says Anders Vistisen.

"That Europe has the policy that it is almost indifferent to how small a problem is - if it is the screw cap on plastic bottles - so we should make a common European legislation on the subject."

Read also: Have you also wondered about a new detail about the lids? (https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/viden/klima/har-du-ogsaa-undret-dig-over-ny-detalje-paa-skruelaag )

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Plastic in the oceans

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The background for the fixed screw caps is an EU directive, the so-called one-time plastic directive from 2019. Its purpose is to reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in nature and the oceans and burdens the environment. It is the same EU directive that has eliminated plastic straws and plastic cutlery.

The directive states that all drinkable products with plastic lids up to three liters must have a fixed lid no later than July 3, 2024.

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It is 'completely absurd'

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The increase corresponds to annual plans to an additional 60 million lids or 126 tons of plastic that will be delivered for recycling. This is reported by Jyllands-Posten (https://jyllands-posten.dk/politik/ECE17898270/nye-skruelaag-er-en-succes-men-politikere-staar-fast-paa-kritik/ ).

However, it is according to Anders Vistisen "completely absurd, that EU expands its own growth by making so many rules as it does," he says.

"Even though it is a small effect, is it still an effect that we can be happy about?"

"Now it is Danish Return System that lives off making the return system, so it is not surprising that they think it is a fantastic idea. But if it does not make sense to sort plastic in the fractions, then I think that one should stop bothering the citizens with it."

"But in relation to the screw caps - now that we have gone through all the 'bureaucratic hassle', as you call it. Is it not just to say "now the battle is over, it has had an effect, and so we should learn to put the lid on the right side of the mouth when we drink?"

"It is the symptom of the fact that deregulation on EU level is impossible," says Anders Vistisen.

"There is always a good argument for keeping a rule, and it requires always opposition to deregulate, says the EU politician, who at the same time emphasizes that he will continue the fight to set the lids free."

"I continue the fight to abolish as much EU regulation as I can manage. It is unfortunately a bit uphill, as there are not many who agree with me."

Listen to the entire interview with Anders Vistisen, member of the European Parliament for the Danish People's Party, in P1 Morgen here:

Warning: This article was translated by a Large Language Model, in case of doubt, you can always visit the original source.