Single-use plastic bags in Belgium drastically decreased in 2010

The number of disposable plastic bags that customers are given in shops by our southern neighbours has decreased by 85 per cent over the past seven years. Since 2003, this has saved almost 4.9 kilotonnes of plastic.

The reduction in bags is the result of a campaign by the federation of Belgian distribution companies, Fedis. Since 2003, it has been trying to banish the disposable carrier bag from shops. And that is succeeding quite well. Only in clothing shops do customers still get plastic bags to carry their purchases. In supermarkets, plastic bags have disappeared. At least the free ones. Customers can still obtain bags for a fee.

Three billion free plastic bags

It is estimated that in 2003 nearly three billion bags went over the counter with our southern neighbours. The sector promised through Fedis at the time to reduce this by 60 per cent by late 2009. The Belgian consumer is apparently more environmentally friendly than expected, as the reduction has risen to about 2.5 billion bags.

The 4,873 tonnes of saved plastic is, moreover, only a small share of the total waste produced by the Belgian consumer. In Flanders alone, there is 3.4 million tonnes of household waste annually.

Incidentally, in the Netherlands we also no longer have free plastic bags in supermarkets. It is estimated that we use 1.5 billion bags a year in our country, a third of which are paid-for bags from supermarkets. The rest are mainly the free disposable bags distributed by other shops, such as small grocers.

The organization TassenBol wants to do something about superfluous plastic bags in supermarkets and has introduced a sphere where shoppers can deposit plastic bags they no longer need. This is so that others can take one out and do not have to buy a new one.

Source: Het Nieuwsblad