​The CoR adopted on 3 April the opinion of the EA member and Runnymede Borough Councillor Mrs Linda Gillham on reducing lightweight plastic carrier bags.

The CoR opinion sets out far tougher proposals than those laid out by the European Commission as it calls for an outright ban of free plastic bags by 2020, mandatory EU targets to reduce the number of single-use plastic bags for all member states and obligatory charges for all carrier bags.

Despite some Member States having already put in place measures from voluntary charging to an outright ban of non-biodegradable carrier bags, more needs to be done at European level to reduce waste; given the environmental impact on marine life, binding EU-level reduction and prevention targets instead of voluntary national reduction targets must also be introduced, says Cllr Gillham.

Each EU citizen uses on average 198 plastic carrier bags each year,90% of which are lightweight.

Cllr Gillham added: "Plastic waste in our environment, especially in the seas, is a global problem. Introducing mandatory charges for plastic bags is a simple and sensible step forward for Europe. This measure reduces the number of lightweight plastic bags that too easily blow around getting caught in trees and washed into the seas, whilst raising money to help with the clean-up".

Link to CoR Press Release

Links to international press coverage

Wall Street Journal

Pollution Solutions Online

Balkans.com

European Environment and Packaging Law

Resource magazine

Irish Examiner

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