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ORG/INTERNATIONAL-PLASTIC-BAG-FREE-DAY-2015-030715
3 JULY 2015

On International Plastic Bag Free Day, a coalition of environmental and waste prevention organisations
urge EU Member States to take measures on environmentally damaging single-use plastic bags in
accordance with new EU Directive requirements.
Every year, the average EU citizen uses an estimated 500 plastic bags, 92.5% of which are single-use.
Around 90 billion single-use plastic bags were used in the EU in 2010. Plastic bags make up around 40%
of all the marine litter across UK waters and the North Sea, and a 2009 study showed that in the Bay of
Biscay over 90% of waste items found on the seabed were plastic. These petroleum based products
contain toxic additives such as endocrine disruptors and carcinogens, which can migrate into marine
environments and enter the food chain via marine fauna.
European citizens think it is time to take action. A 2014 survey carried out by the European Commission,
found that 92 % of respondents agree that measures should be taken to reduce the use of single-use
plastic items, such as shopping bags.
There has been recent progress by EU institutions on tackling this issue. In May, a new European
Directive, 2015/720/UE,to reduce the consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags entered in to force.
The Directive requires Member States to reduce the use of plastic carrier bags with a thickness of below
50 microns by either:

taking measures to reduce annual average consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags to 90
per person by the end of 2019, and 40 by 2025

or by ensuring that by the end of 2018, no more lightweight plastic carrier bags are handed over
free of charge to shoppers.
Member states have a 18-month limit to transpose it into their national law.
However, this law allows oxo-degradable bags to continue to be used in Europe despite their disastrous
impact on the marine environment, where they degrade into smaller pieces of plastics impossible to
remove from the environment.
Marta Beltran from Fundaci Prevenci de Residus said: "Our society can not afford the waste of
resources and the environmental, social and economic impacts of plastic bags, including the oxodegradables bags whose impacts on the trophic chain must be avoided. We want Zero Plastic Bags
everyday; it's time for reusables."
Meadhbh Bolger from Friends of the Earth Europe said: "Single-use plastic bags are an iconic
example of how Europe is stuck in a linear economy, dependent on the continuous extraction of scarce
virgin resources for throwaway products. EU decision-makers need to ensure that the new Circular
Economy Package makes sure we keep resources in the economy for as long as possible and that
reduced consumption, reuse and recycling are the norm across the continent."
Joan-Marc Simon from Zero Waste Europe said: "Plastic pollution is a global problem waiting for a
global solution. As an international player, the EU should lead by example and not lag behind other
countries in reducing usage of single-use plastic bags. The EU has now a target for reduction in the use
of plastic-bags, we call on member states to put in place necessary measures to make this a reality."

Antidia Citores from Surfrider Foundation Europe said: "29 European cities have already committed
to ban single-use plastic bags within our "Ban the plastic bag campaign". The European directive recently
adopted now gives the possibility to EU member states to legally ban single use plastic bags. We now call
on Member States, cities and citizens to engage themselves in our campaign and say no to disposable
plastic bags which affect so strongly the marine environment."
Piotr Barczak from European Environmental Bureau said: "The case of unnecessary plastic bags
clearly shows that improving environmental performance and waste management does not rely only on
modern solutions, but is often about societal change. Very often we just need to look at the modes of
consumption that were present decades ago and that had much less impact on the environment, like, in
this case, reusable packaging."
The sixth edition of International plastic bag-free day sees groups from all over the world organising
activities to raise awareness on the environmental impact of single-use plastic bags and to demand that
governments act to stop marine littering.
The International Plastic Bag-Free Day is organised by Zero Waste Europe, GAIA and the Fundaci
Catalana per a la Prevenci de Residus i Consum.

http://www.red-on-line.com/hse/2015/06/11/eu-publication-of-the-new-directive-on-the-reduction-ofconsumption-of-lightweight-plastic-carrier-bags-001518

Directive (EU) 2015/720 of 29 April 2015 sets targets to reduce the current
level of consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags. For this
purpose, it amends Directive 94/62/EC of 20 December 1994 on packaging and
packaging waste.

Waste management : new measures to sustainably

reduce consumption of lightweight plastic
New

definitions are added to Directive 94/62/EU:

plastic,
plastic carrier bags,
lightweight plastic carrier bags,
very lightweight plastic carrier bags,
oxo-degradable plastic carrier bags (Article 1 of Directive 2015/720).

Setting up of national reduction targets

The new Directive requires Member States to take measures to
sustainably reduce consumption of lightweight plastic bagson their

territory (Article 1). For this purpose, new paragraphs are added in Article 4 of Directive
94/62/EC. The type of measures to implement is left to the discretion of Member
States, which may set national reduction targets, maintain or introduce economic
instruments as well as marketing restrictions, provided that such restrictions are
proportionate and non-discriminatory. However, the measures must include either or
both of the following:

(a) the adoption of measures ensuring that the annual

consumption level does not exceed 90 lightweight plastic carrier

bags per person by 31 December 2019 and 40 lightweight plastic
carrier bags per person by 31 December 2025, or equivalent targets
set in weight. Very lightweight plastic carrier bags may be excluded from
national consumption objectives;
(b) the adoption of instruments ensuring that, by 31 December

2018, 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 may be excluded from those measures .
They will also report to the European Commission (EC) their annual
consumption of lightweight plastic bags (Article 4 of Directive 94/62/EC).

Union-wide labels to ensure Union-wide

recognition
of
biodegradable
and
compostable plastic carrier bags
Furthermore, by 27 May 2017, the EC shall adopt the specifications of
labels or marks to ensure Union-wide recognition of biodegradable
and compostable plastic carrier bags and to provide consumers with the
correct information about the composting properties of such bags . (new
Article 8a of Directive 94/62 / EC).
The new Directive must be transposed into the national law of Member States by 27
November 2017.
As a reminder, on 28 May 2015, the European Commission (EC) launched public
consultations on the circular economy strategy late to be presented in 2015, aiming to
increase the competitiveness and resource-efficiency of the European economy and
addressing a range of economic sectors, including waste.
EHS Legal specialist

Sources:
Directive (EU) 2015/720 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29
April 2015 amending Directive 94/62/EC as regards reducing the
consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags, OJEU L 115 of 6 May 2015, p.
1115
http://www.sistemasmedioambientales.com/en/directive-eu-2015720-plastic-bags

Directive (EU) 2015/720 on plastic bags

The European Union restricts and regulates the use of palstic bags.

The full European Parliament (EP) gave its April 28 approved the final text of the so-called "directive of
plastic bags", whose use will be restricted as an initiative for the environment. The directive seeks to
eliminate plastic bags in the European Union (EU), which involve a huge risk to the planet given the
long period until the decomposition of matter.
For bag implement the measure, countries will have to choose to take on reduction targets of the use of
plastic bags of a thickness less than 50 microns, the most common in the EU, or to compel businesses to
charge for them to customers no exceptions.
Member States who choose the first option should be taken to ensure that, from 2020, no more than 90
light bags are used per person per year, to further reduce its use from 2026 up to 40 per person .
If countries opt for put a price, shall ensure that, from 2019, these bags are not offered customers free
manner.
These measures do not apply to those extremely lightweight bags (less than 15 microns) which are used,
for
example,
to
protect
food.
Plastic bags are one of the biggest problems when figures related to waste in the European Union are
treated and why the 28 EU countries must adopt at least one of these two proposals:

Ensure that the use of bags to 90 units a year per person is reduced to 40 units in 2019 and
2025.

Entering tools such as bans, taxes or fines to achieve restrict free distribution of small bags for
single use in all points of sale until the end of 2018, from then consumers will always have to pay
for them.

The European Parliament is studying extensively the impact on the environment of materials such as oxobiodegradable plastic that eventually breaks down into small particles. 2017 the European Commission
will propose labeling and marking of products biodegradable plastic bags and compostable to be easily
recognizable. MEPs members of the Environment Committee have said that if the plastic revolutionized

our production and consumption model many years ago, change and revolution will towards a model of
circular economy and sustainable.
In many countries plastic bags and are paid and has been demonstrated to be a good tool for reducing
use. In Europe the average is about 190 bags a year, even countries like Denmark and Finland are only 4
bags
per
person
per
year.
Plastic bags are made in minutes, they have a lifespan of minutes, but it takes 500 years to
disappear.