At the suggestion of Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze, the Federal Cabinet today initiated a ban on plastic bags.
The draft law provides that Plastic bags with a wall thickness of less than 50 micrometres will be banned in future. Excluded from the ban are certain very lightweight plastic carrier bags (wall thickness of less than 15 micrometres), which are used in retail, particularly for transporting loose fruit and vegetables. A ban on these so-called „Shirt bag“ or „knot bag“ would lead to the increased use of more expensive packaging.
„Plastic bags are the epitome of a waste of resources: they are made from crude oil and are often only used for a few minutes. They often end up in the environment, where they remain for many decades. Germany currently consumes around 20 single-use plastic bags per person per year. With a ban, we can now get to zero,“ says Federal Minister for the Environment Svenja Schulze.
The legal ban is intended to continue the positive trend in Consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags in Germany and consistently continue the agreement concluded in 2016 between the Federal Ministry for the Environment and the retail sector. The legal regulation is now intended in particular to Final distributor who have not yet participated in the voluntary agreement have participated.
„The future is not the disposable paper bag. The future is reusable - and that really isn't a problem, especially when it comes to bags. A reusable plastic carrier bag is more environmentally friendly than a disposable plastic bag after just three uses. Reusable carrier bags are usually made from recycled material, whereas single-use plastic bags are made from crude oil,“ says Svenja Schulze.
Source: http://www.bmu.de
