Restriction on numbers of carrier bags for consumers

NEW European Union rules could reduce the numbers of plastic carrier bags used in member States even further, according to a report by Eroski Consumer, part of the Spain-wide supermarket chain which originated in the Basque Country.

The directive of April 29, number 2015/720, says the 28 countries must either reduce the number of carrier bags each person is allowed to take home from the supermarket, or limit the number given out without charge.

In Spain, supermarkets already charge a small fee for carrier bags, ranging from two to 10 cents, depending upon the size.

This means it would be obliged to restrict carrier bag sales, aiming for a maximum of 90 per person by the end of 2019 in total, or 40 at most by the end of this year.

For countries other than Spain, where bags are free of charge at the till, they must cease to be so by December 21, 2018.

The full EU Directive must be incorporated into national law by November 27, 2016.

Carrier bag recycling remains very low in the EU and use of them varies dramatically from country to country, depending upon consumers' attitudes to them.

Many use them as rubbish bags instead of buying separate bin liners, meaning they would have to be swapped for plastic sacks and the saving in amounts of plastic damaging the environment would therefore be minimal, or even non-existent.

Some bags are already made with biodegradable materials - hypermarket chain Carrefour uses potato fibre to make its own bags.

A 'common methodology' for measuring how many are used per person will be developed by Brussels, as well as further information campaigns given that recent ones have led to lower carrier bag consumption.