Free Plastic Bags banned in Slovakia

As The Spectator explains, the obligation for EU member states to decrease the number of distributed plastic bags, derives from an EU regulation from 2015 (Directive 94/62/EC).

States have two options: Either they ensure, that the average annual use of plastic bags does not exceed 90 bags per person. Or they can choose to ban the distribution of free bags in shops by the end of 2018.

In Slovakia, the massive use of plastic bags poses a problem to the fulfilment of the EU regulation. An average Slovak uses 466 plastic bags per year, whereas average usage in the EU is 200. To tackle the issue, the Environment Ministry is planning an amendment to the Waste Act. This is meant to decrease the use of plastic bags for shopping. Retailers will not be allowed to give bags for free and have to keep track of all bags.

“The change will contribute to better environmental awareness of people,” said Stano Maťašovská, spokesperson of the ministry. “It should motivate shoppers to improve their consumer habits and use textile bags or wicker shopping baskets, like they did in the past.”