Europe wants to get rid of plastic bags

The European Commission announced its intention to ban disposable bags. France has significantly reduced its consumption.

Le Parisien 19/05/2011

Could the European Union ban plastic bags, or introduce a tax on them, given that the vast majority ultimately end up in the sea?

The Environment Commissioner, Janez Potočnik, said he was considering it. “A proposal will be launched shortly. Fifty years ago, we hardly used single-use plastic bags at all. Today, they are used for only a few minutes and pollute our environment for decades,” lamented Janez Potočnik, stressing that some European countries had already taken action.

Since January 1, 2011, Italy has banned the distribution of plastic bags in shops and supermarkets. A kind of mini cultural revolution for the country, which alone accounts for nearly a quarter of the plastic bags consumed in Europe.

Seven years ago, Ireland was a pioneer in introducing a tax of five cents per disposable bag. The result was a 90% reduction in the number of disposable plastic bags.

French retailers also claim to have taken action through consumer awareness campaigns. “The number of plastic bags distributed in supermarkets fell from 10 billion in 2002 to 1 billion units in 2009,” says the Federation of Commerce and Distribution, which for four years fought tooth and nail against the introduction of a similar tax in France. This ultimately proved to be a waste of time. After a heated debate, members of parliament finally voted, as part of the 2011 finance law, to introduce a tax on shopping bags, whether free or paid, if they are not biodegradable.