Plastic bags remain among the 10 most commonly littered items in Europe, as International Plastic Bag Free Day is marked on 3 July
Plastic bags are often used only once and can take centuries to fully degrade in the natural environment, the European Commission noted in a release on Friday.
The day is linked to the global Break Free From Plastic movement, which campaigns to reduce plastic consumption and raise awareness of pollution caused by plastic waste.
EU rules targeting plastic bags include the Plastic Bags Directive, which requires EU countries to cut the annual average consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags.
Countries are expected to use measures such as national reduction targets, economic instruments — including fees and taxes — and marketing restrictions.
EU restrictions on other disposable plastics
Separate legislation, the Single Use Plastics Directive, is intended to reduce consumption of disposable plastics more broadly, the Commission said.
Many commonly found single-use plastic products have been banned in the EU since the directive was implemented, including cutlery, plates and straws.
