Strasbourg: European Union politicians moved on Wednesday to ban widely-used, throw-away plastics such as straws and cotton buds, and put a greater burden on manufacturers to recycle in an effort to clear up ocean pollution.

Under the proposal, overwhelmingly backed by the European Parliament, 10 single-use plastic products with readily available alternatives would be banned by 2021. EU states would be obliged to recycle 90 per cent of plastic bottles by 2025 and producers to help cover costs of waste management.

"We are sending a strong signal to industry," EU legislator Frederique Ries, a Belgian liberal who is representing the Parliament in negotiations with EU governments, told Reuters. "There is broad and growing popular support on this issue."