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Environment

Plastic bags

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

Overview

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

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

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

This is why the EU introduced rules dealing specifically with the problem of lightweight plastic carrier bags.

Find a summary of the legislation here.

Objectives

The Plastic Bags Directive (Directive (EU) 2015/720) entered into force on 26 May 2015. It 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.

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 by 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.

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.

Related links

Contact

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