Plastic has become the most common material since the beginning of the twentieth century and modern life without it is unthinkable. Unfortunately, the properties that make plastic so commercially successful – such as its light weight, low cost and high durability, have also contributed to the rising proliferation of the environment. Once discarded, plastic carrier bags can last for hundreds of years.

In 2010, an estimated 98.6 billion plastic carrier bags were placed on the European Union (EU) market. This amounts to 198 plastic carrier bags for every EU citizen per year . Out of these, the vast majority are lightweight bags, which are less frequently re-used than thicker ones.

Large quantities of plastic debris escape waste management streams and accumulate in the environment, especially in the form of marine litter. Plastics are found in the most remote parts of the oceans. Entanglement of turtles by floating plastic bags, sea mammals and birds that die from eating plastic debris produce shocking pictures.

Moreover, plastic is not inert and chemical additives can migrate into body tissue and enter the food chain. At least 267 different species are known to have suffered from entanglement or ingestion of marine litter. In the North Sea, the stomachs of 94% of all birds contain plastic. Plastic bags have been also found in stomachs of several endangered marine species, such as green turtles, loggerhead turtles, leatherback turtles, black footed albatrosses, and harbour porpoises. The massive pollution of the oceans with plastic debris is therefore emerging as a global challenge that requires a global response.

A second challenge is linked to the conservation of resources. Nearly 50% of plastic waste in the EU is still land-filled. Therefore, much energy and processed raw material is lost, instead of being recycled into new products.

Europe’s Response

The EU first introduced measures on the management of packaging waste in the early 1980s. A Directive which covered the packaging of liquid beverage containers intended for human consumption only was considered as being too vague to bring about the effective harmonisation of national policies. As a consequence, diverging national legislation appeared in several Member States and only some EU Member States introduced measures on packaging and packaging waste management with a view to reducing their environmental impacts. This obviously led to serious internal market problems which paved the way for the adoption of the Council Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste.

This Directive aims to harmonise national measures in order to prevent or reduce the impact of packaging and packaging waste on the environment and to ensure the functioning of the Internal Market. It contains provisions on the prevention of packaging waste, on the re-use of packaging and on the recovery and recycling of packaging waste.

On November 4, 2013, following extensive public consultations that found broad support for an EU-wide initiative in this area, the European Commission adopted a proposal that requires Member States to reduce the use of lightweight plastic carrier bags. All Member States have been given the green light to choose the measures they find most appropriate, such as, the introduction of certain charges and the introduction of bans under certain particular conditions (the ban cannot be discriminatory to a certain type of lightweight plastic bag over another).

This proposal amends the Council Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste with the introduction of two main elements:

·         Member States are required to adopt measures to reduce the consumption of plastic carrier bags with a thickness below 50 microns, as these are less frequently re-used than thicker ones, and often end up as litter; and

·         These measures may include the use of economic instruments, such as charges, national reduction targets, and marketing restrictions.

When launching this proposal, EU Commissioner for the Environment, Janez Potocnik said: "We're taking action to solve a very serious and highly visible environmental problem. Every year, more than 8 billion plastic bags end up as litter in Europe, causing enormous environmental damage. Some Member States have already achieved great results in terms of reducing their use of plastic bags. If others followed suit we could reduce today's overall consumption in the EU by as much as 80%."

Neil Portelli is Executive, EU Policy and Legislation - MEUSAC