EU approves legislation to reduce plastic bags
By Canadian Packaging staff
Sustainability Bagging/Weighing European Bioplastics European Union Packaging and Packaging Waste DirectiveDecision to phase out plastic bags strengthens the compostable bags market
BERLIN—On Tuesday, April 28, 2015, the European Parliament gave its final approval for the previously agreed legislation amending the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD) to reduce the use of conventional single use plastic carrier bags.
While not great news for manufacturers of plastic bags, the European Bioplastics association was ecstatic, saying the decision will help recognize the benefits of compostable bags and pave the way for further development of EU-wide standardization and labeling of compostability for a resource-efficient Europe.
The new legislation obliges EU Member States to introduce measures that reduce the use of lightweight plastic bags by almost 50 percent by the end of 2019 and by 80 percent by the end of 2025 compared to 2010.
“We highly appreciate the strong environmental commitment of the European institutions demonstrated by these ambitious targets. The new legislation reaffirms the potential of biodegradable and compostable shopping bags to tackle the challenges of plastic bag consumption and lead to a more resource efficient Europe,” says European Bioplastics chairman François de Bie, adding that compostable plastic bags have important ecological advantages, and can enhance the separate collection of biowaste, and thereby divert it from landfill.
More information is available on www.european-bioplastics.org.
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