The full European Parliament (EP) gave its April 28 approved the final text of the so-called "directive of plastic bags", whose use will be restricted as an initiative for the environment. The directive seeks to eliminate plastic bags in the European Union (EU), which involve a huge risk to the planet given the long period until the decomposition of matter.
For bag implement the measure, countries will have to choose to take on reduction targets of the use of plastic bags of a thickness less than 50 microns, the most common in the EU, or to compel businesses to charge for them to customers no exceptions.

Member States who choose the first option should be taken to ensure that, from 2020, no more than 90 light bags are used per person per year, to further reduce its use from 2026 up to 40 per person .
If countries opt for put a price, shall ensure that, from 2019, these bags are not offered customers free manner.

These measures do not apply to those extremely lightweight bags (less than 15 microns) which are used, for example, to protect food.
 
Plastic bags are one of the biggest problems when figures related to waste in the European Union are treated and why the 28 EU countries must adopt at least one of these two proposals:

• Ensure that the use of bags to 90 units a year per person is reduced to 40 units in 2019 and 2025.
• Entering tools such as bans, taxes or fines to achieve restrict free distribution of small bags for single use in all points of sale until the end of 2018, from then consumers will always have to pay for them.

 
The European Parliament is studying extensively the impact on the environment of materials such as oxo-biodegradable plastic that eventually breaks down into small particles. 2017 the European Commission will propose labeling and marking of products biodegradable plastic bags and compostable to be easily recognizable. MEPs members of the Environment Committee have said that if the plastic revolutionized our production and consumption model many years ago, change and revolution will towards a model of circular economy and sustainable.

In many countries plastic bags and are paid and has been demonstrated to be a good tool for reducing use. In Europe the average is about 190 bags a year, even countries like Denmark and Finland are only 4 bags per person per year.
Plastic bags are made in minutes, they have a lifespan of minutes, but it takes 500 years to disappear.
 
See EU Directive 2015/720

pdf

+