A new law on the use of plastics in packaging is about to be issued in the EU. This would include taxes, bans and restrictions. The plastics and packaging industries are strongly opposed. They say that the anti-plastics campaign is full of politics, ignorance and sensationalism. The press appeals to emotions with dramatic images of floating islands of rubbish in the oceans, and nowhere is any data on the proposed substitutes for plastics published to characterise their impact on the environment. Plastics manufacturers, on the other hand, are constantly improving the recyclability of their products, increasing the proportion of recycled plastics and adapting to ever stricter standards.