70% of Europeans in favour of ban on plastic bags

In May 2011, the European Commission launched a so-called 'stakeholder consultation' to gather the views of Europeans on reducing the use of plastic bags. The consultation was intended to generate as many ideas and suggestions as possible which, combined with a scientific analysis, would lead to an EC policy position for EU policy. The conclusions of this large-scale survey have now been published.

Prevention measures

No less than 74% of respondents see a need to set prevention targets to reduce plastic bag waste, preferably at European level (70%). As many as 71% believe that a ban on plastic bags is an appropriate measure. Furthermore, 62% think that pricing measures could lead to a reduction in the use of plastic bags, and 57% feel that pricing measures should ideally be defined at EU level.

Some Member States have already taken action to reduce the use of plastic carrier bags through pricing measures (tax measures in Ireland and Denmark), agreements with the retail sector (Belgium and France, where retailers request a recycling fee), and bans on certain types of bags (Italy). However, there are no specific measures at EU level. In March, EU environment ministers discussed the environmental impact of plastic carrier bags, and the concerns they raised highlighted the need for effective EU action [AfvalOnline, 2011].