The consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags (LPCBs) with a wall thickness of less than 50 microns in the European Union continues to fall. According to recent statistics published by Eurostat, EU residents used an average of 77 of these single-use bags per person in 2021. This figure was 11 fewer than in the previous year and 18 fewer than in 2018, the first year for which data were collected. According to Eurostat, 2021 was also the first year in which the EU observed a decrease in the consumption of very light plastic carrier bags (VLPCBs), which have a wall thickness of less than 15 microns.
However, most EU member states are still far from reaching the target of 40 bags per person per year by the end of 2025, as set out in the Directive (EU) 2015/720 on reducing the consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags. Only seven countries, including Germany, reported consumption below this level as of 2021. In many other countries, the number of bags consumed was two, three or even six times higher than the target....
