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Environment

Plastic bags

EU rules addressing the unsustainable consumption and use of lightweight plastic carrier bags.

Overview
Background

Overview

Lightweight plastic carrier bags (i.e., those with a wall thickness below 50 microns) are among Europe's top 10 littered items. They are often used only once, but take centuries to fully degrade in the natural environment.

Before this happens, terrestrial or marine animals ingest them, or they break into microplastics. Either way, they end up in the human and animal food chain.

This is why the EU introduced rules to deal with the problem of lightweight plastic carrier bags.

Colorful plastic bags on cement floor
© Bowonpat Sakaew | Getty Images

Background

The Plastic Bags Directive (Directive (EU) 2015/720) is a targeted legislative framework designed to address the unsustainable consumption and environmental impact of lightweight plastic carrier bags across the EU.

As an amendment to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC), it specifically targets lightweight plastic carrier bags with a wall thickness below 50 microns — which are rarely reused and represent one of the most persistent sources of littering in Europe. The law obliges Member States to implement binding consumption reduction targets, mandatory pricing, or marketing restrictions.

Why do we have this law?

The directive was adopted in 2015 in response to severe public concern over the environmental footprint of single-use carrier bags. Lightweight plastic bags are often used for only a few minutes, yet take centuries to degrade fully in natural environments.

Because of their lightweight nature, they easily escape waste management systems and become marine or terrestrial litter. Once littered, plastic bags harm wildlife through ingestion and entanglement, and gradually fragment into persistent microplastics that enter animal and human food chains. The law was introduced to shift consumer behaviour away from a throwaway culture toward reusable alternatives and resource efficiency.

Alignment with other EU policies

The Plastic Bags Directive operates in tandem with broader EU waste and environmental law. It acts as a specialised instrument within the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC) and complements the Single-Use Plastics Directive (Directive (EU) 2019/904), which enforces Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), awareness campaigns, and litter clean-up requirements for very lightweight plastic bags (under 15 microns). It also contributes directly to achieving the environmental objectives of the Waste Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

Strategic basis

At the strategic level, rules on plastic carrier bags are an integral component of the European Green Deal, supporting key initiatives such as the EU Plastics Strategy and the Circular Economy Action Plan.

By driving a sustained reduction in plastic bag usage — capping annual national consumption at a maximum of 40 lightweight bags per person by 31 December 2025 — the directive directly supports the targets of the Zero Pollution Action Plan and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.

Legislation: Directive (EU) 2015/720 reducing the consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags

Status: In force since 26 May 2015

Application date: 27 November 2016

Summary of legislation

Objectives and aims

The Plastic Bags Directive (Directive (EU) 2015/720) was adopted to deal with the unsustainable consumption and use of lightweight plastic carrier bags, while also aiming to:

  • Encourage waste prevention and resource efficiency
  • Achieve a sustained reduction in the consumption of plastic bags through targets.

What's included in the law?

The Plastic Bags Directive is an amendment to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC) and requires Member States to take measures, such as national reduction targets and/or economic instruments (e.g. fees, taxes) and marketing restrictions (bans), provided that the latter are proportionate and non-discriminatory.

The measures taken by Member States include either or both of the following:

  • The adoption of measures ensuring that the annual consumption level does not exceed 40 lightweight plastic carrier bags per person since 31 December 2025, or an equivalent target set in weight, and/or;
  • The adoption of instruments ensuring that lightweight plastic carrier bags are not provided free of charge at the point of sale of goods or products, unless equally effective instruments are implemented.

Very lightweight plastic carrier bags (plastic carrier bags with a wall thickness below 15 microns, which are required for hygiene purposes or provided as primary packaging for loose food when this helps to prevent food wastage) may be excluded from these objectives, but Member States are required to report on their consumption.

Member States are not allowed to adopt marketing restrictions (bans) for plastic carrier bags with a wall thickness above 50 microns (i.e. reusable bags), but are free to adopt other measures to reduce their consumption, such as economic instruments or other national reduction measures. They are not obliged (but are strongly recommended) to report to the Commission on their consumption.

Single-Use Plastics (SUP) Directive

With regard to very lightweight plastic carrier bags, the SUP Directive requires that producers cover the costs as required under the extended producer responsibility obligation as specified in Directives 2008/98/EC and 94/62/EC and also the cost of awareness-raising measures and the waste collection and cleaning up of those carrier bags.

Concerning lightweight plastic carrier bags, the SUP Directive also requires that Member States take measures to inform and incentivise consumers about responsible behaviour to reduce litter.

Publications

Implementation

Since June 2020, Member States have reported data on the annual consumption of lightweight and very lightweight plastic carrier bags.

The reports are sent to Eurostat, the Directorate General of the Commission responsible for statistical information. In order to guide the Member States in their reporting obligations, Eurostat issued Specific Guidelines for Reporting on lightweight plastic carrier bags.

Contact

For questions about EU environmental policy, please contact Europe Direct.