City of Brussels bans plastic at all outdoor events

The City of Brussels has introduced a ban on plastic cups, trays and straws at all outdoor events - including this weekend's Tour de France festivities and the upcoming Brussels Summer Festival.

The new regulations came into force on Monday and a list of the prohibited items has been distributed to events organisers.

The ban is described as a first step towards a new charter on sustainable events that the City of Brussels wants to establish.

"Our ambition is to make the capital a pioneer of zero waste," said Zoubida Jellab, the Ecolo city councillor responsible for public cleanliness.

Brussels' big outdoor events - including Winter Wonders and the Brussels Summer Festival - generate 1,200 tonnes of unsorted waste each year, a lot of which is plastic.

The success of the plastic ban will be evaluated in 2020, with a view to introducing broader measures.