Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have today (16 April) approved draft rules that will require all EU countries to ‘reduce the use of the most common and most polluting plastic bags’ by 50 per cent by 2017 and 80 per cent by 2019 (based on 2010 levels).

The draft amendment to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive(first proposed in November 2013) aims to reduce the amount of plastic bags littered in the EU to limit the amount of environmental damage caused.

The law, which received the support of 539 MEPs (with 51 voting against and 72 abstentions),relates to reducing consumption of lightweight plastic bags with a thickness below 50 microns, which reportedly are ‘less reusable than thicker models and become waste more quickly’.

Specifically, the new directive details that member states should ‘take measures’ to ensure that retailers selling food do not provide plastic carrier bags free of charge (except for very lightweight plastic carrier bags), while retailers selling non-food should charge for plastic bags ‘to an extent that is effective and proportionate so as to achieve the reduction targets’.

MEPs recommended that reducing plastic bag consumption could also be achieved through economic instruments such as taxes and levies, marketing restrictions or bans (such as those already in place in Wales).

Compostable packaging details

As well as reducing plastic bag use, the legislation requires any lightweight bags used to protect food (such as loose fruits, vegetables and confectionary) to be made of recycled paper or lightweight, biodegradable and compostable material by 2019.

Further, the directive outlines that any member states with separate collection of biowaste should also be allowed to reduce the price of biodegradable and compostable lightweight plastic carrier bags.

It is also outlines that legislation for compostable packaging should be amended to ‘ensure that a European standard for garden composting is developed’ and that the law regarding biodegradable packaging is changed so that only materials that are ‘fully biodegraded’ are considered to be biodegradable.

The vote at today’s first reading of the legislation ensures that this mandate is taken up by the new Parliament (elections for which will take place between 22-25 May 2014), and ‘used as a basis for further negotiations with EU member states’.

Finding a solution to the ‘pervasive problem of plastic waste’

The draft law is based on a report written by Green MEP Margrete Auken, who welcomed today’s vote, saying: “MEPs have today voted to significantly strengthen draft EU rules aimed at reducing plastic bag use and waste, notably to include obligatory European reduction targets and a requirement that plastic bags come at a cost.

“As front-running countries have demonstrated, dramatically reducing the consumption of these disposable bags is easily achievable with coherent policy. Swiftly phasing out these bags is a readily implementable solution to the pervasive problem of plastic waste in the environment.”

Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik added: "I am delighted that this is moving forward quickly and I look forward to engaging with the new Parliament after the elections to try to get a rapid adoption of this important initiative. My congratulations go to the author of the Parliament's report, Margarete Auken, who got strong support for her report.

"Public opinion is strongly behind reducing use of lightweight plastic bags, but public behaviour change needs a nudge. This is the clear lesson from member states, such as Ireland, which have shown simple measures can lead to big changes. That is why the Commission proposal calls on member states to take implement measures to secure an 80 per cent reduction in lightweight bags - no matter what kind of plastic they are made from, and it allows member states to ban them, so long as they respect internal market rules. I am pleased that moves by some in the Parliament to reject this last possibility did not gain support.

"From the Parliament's vote it is clear that the Commission and Parliament share the same objective, but we may still need more discussion on the measures best suited to achieve that objective. We will be analysing the amendments in the report very carefully."

The vote has been welcomed by various members of the bioplastics industry, with Catia Bastioli, CEO of Novamont, saying: “This ruling is a historical turning point because the European Parliament has for the first time clearly expressed itself by introducing a regulatory model aimed at minimising the production of waste and which, at the same time, also incentivises models that mimic biological systems and keep the resources used in circulation.

“The model is based on the virtuous development of the sector in which quality compost is produced from door-to-door type, separate collection of municipal waste and the evolution of research and innovation in the biodegradable bioplastics sector. The interplay of these two developments which have evolved over the years has set in motion a series of virtuous actions and cooperation initiatives between various stakeholders (businesses, institutions, research bodies, trade associations, authorities) generating the ideal connective tissue to promote a change in the economic model, with the efficient use of resources at its centre.”

François de Bie, Chairman of European Bioplastics, also commented, saying: “We are very glad that the European Parliament recognises the value compostable carrier bags can provide to enhance a separate biowaste collection across Europe. Switching from lightweight, single-use, fossil-based carrier bags to EN 13432-certified compostable dual-use shopping bags helps to divert biowaste from landfill.”

However, the rules have been lambasted by the Packaging and Films Association (PAFA), which argued that relying on biodegradable products over plastic could ‘lead the consumer to believe that it’s OK to litter as any product littered will simply disappear with time’. 

Read more about the amendment to the packaging and packaging waste law.