VIDEO: EU Report on Measures to Cut Plastic Bag Waste

A report aimed at cutting waste from single use plastic bags has been approved by Members of the European Parliament's Environment Committee. The main objective of the amended directive on packaging and waste is to limit the negative impacts on the environment, in particular in terms of litter, to encourage waste prevention and to reduce significantly the number of single-use ‘lightweight’ plastic bags which is defined as 50 microns or less in thickness. The MEPs explained that plastic bags pollute soil, water and kill ecosystems, and that in 2010 more than 8 billion plastic bags ended up as litter in Europe. On average, the Committee said that European citizen used 198 plastic bags each year - 90% of which were single-use lightweight bags. However, annual per capita consumption of single-use plastic bags varies greatly between Member States, ranging from an estimated four plastic bags in the best performing countries of Denmark and Finland, to an estimated 466 in Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia or Baltic states. Key points of the report include: Introducing a two-stage reduction target for plastic bags by 50% within three years after the entry into force of the Directive leading and 80% within five years i.e. around 2020 (the target is based on EU average per capita consumption and will therefore mean different efforts in different Member States) To achieve the target, Member States should ensure that at least food retailers charge for plastic bags handed out at the till, instead of providing them free of charge. The exact design of such charges is left up to Member States Plastic bags that have a function in ensuring food hygiene (such as bags used for fresh meat and fish) are exempted from these new measures. Next steps in introducing proposed legislation on the issue is a plenary vote scheduled for April, while negotiations with the Council to finalise the policy will take place during the next parliamentary term. Read More VIDEO: Feature Film Examines the Extents to which Waste Plastics are Polluting the Oceans A new feature length documentary highlighting the extent of the environmental damage being caused by waste plastics in the world's oceans has been released. UK Plastic Bag Use Up as 60 Percent of Shops Offer Recycling Points Some 8.1 billion thin-gauge (single-use) plastic bags were used by UK supermarket customers in 2012, according to the latest data from the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) – an increase of 1.3% over the 2011 figures. LA Ban to Cut 2 Billion Plastic Bags Entering Waste Stream The City of Los Angeles has become the largest city in the U.S. to introduce a ban on plastic grocery bags and 77th jurisdiction in the State of California to adopt an ordinance to phase them out.