The consumption of plastic bags in Germany dropped significantly in 2018, by approximately one fifth.
Additionally, the number of light plastic bags used last year stood at half the EU target for 2025.
"The data shows that trade has kept its word and that the agreement between the HDE and the Federal Environment Ministry has been successful,” said Stefan Genth, HDE chief executive.
Plastic Bag Reduction
Around 350 companies have signed an agreement with the Bundesumweltministerium (BMU) in order to reduce the number of plastic bags in use, while many retailers are participating without formally signing up to the commitment.
"Many large retail chains have now completely abolished the disposable plastic bag. This is reflected positively in the statistics,” said Genth.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Jana Zimmermann. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
