Plastic bags massively came into being in the 1960s, along with the democratization of the supermarkets. Since 2011, Surfrider fights against this pollution, a true plague for the oceans, with the campaign Ban the bag.

Today, many countries and cities have decided to act in order to limit or ban single use plastic bags. Overview of the initiatives going on around the world.

• The Balearic Islands hunt down plastic to clean up the beaches

With a mainly tourism-focused economy, the Balearic Islands wish to protect their attractive beaches. From 2019 January 1st, it won’t be possible to distribute any single-use bag ; only the compostable plastic bags will be authorized. To a greater extent, the Balearic Islands will forbid the sale of all single-use plastic (cups, plates, coffee capsules, etc.) by 2020, which could be the most ambitious legislation in Europe against the « all disposable ». However, this one remains to be adopted by Parliament.

The Balearic Islands Parliament also wants to entice places of business to provide tap water for free to customers, only distributed in bottles for a fee at the moment.

• In Italy, fruits and vegetables bags for a fee

Since January 1st of this year, it is mandatory for businesses to only provide customers biodegradable plastic bags, for a fee. Italians therefore have to pay their fruits and veggies bags. Price: 0.02 cents per biodegradable plastic bag. The objective of this significant price is to reduce the consumption of these bags per 4, by empowering consumers and enticing the use of compostable alternatives. Although the measure divides, it is however essential for the country – which consumes a quarter of the 100 billions bags consumed per year in Europe. However, remember that biodegradable plastics aren’t a sustainable alternative because their biodegradability in the environment (other than in controlled industrial conditions) can’t be guaranteed.

• In Bali, initiatives are multipled to save the heavenly islan

Indonesia is the second biggest plastic polluter in the world after China. A small island badly equipped to face the multiplication of hotel resorts and millions of tourists, Bali produces around 5000 cubic meters of waste per day. Throughout the year, movements were organized to clear the coastline, rivers and jungles of waste and restore the beauty of the island. Civic mobilizations include groups like Bye Bye Plastic Bag, an NGO created by two young Balinese. This kind of initiative makes possible the involvement of the people and encourage state measures.

• Greece enforces the European directive

For many years, the plastic bag at checkout has been kept free for the consumers in Greece. Since 2018, they now have to pay 0.04 cents for each plastic bag they request. From 2019, the price will be raised to 0.09 cents. Essentially, the yearly cost per consumer will vary from 10 to 14 euros in 2018, and from 24 to 31 euros in 2019. Although the cost is low, the goal is really disuasive and the progress is inarguable for a country that has been late in its stance against plastic bags. In fact, the plastic bag is deeply routed in the custom of the Greeks. Their use (in supermarkets, bakeries, pharmacies, shops, etc.) is considerable and represents around 400 bags per inhabitant per year, when the average in the countries of the European Union is of only 280. However, markets and kiosks remain exempt from taxation and progress is still needed.

• In Taiwan, a new plan to fight against plastic bags

Taiwan has presented a 12-year plan, officially launching in 2019, to carry on its fight against plastic with a general ban on plastic straws and bags. The plan consists in the progressive elimination of all the plastics by 2030 and their replacement with reusable and biodegradable items.

To protect the oceans, the country is heading towards a total ban on plastic bags and straws by 2030. Although the ban on plastic bags has been in place since 2002 in supermarkets and hypermarkets on the island, the country extends this restriction to several other industries: bakeries, pharmacies, bookshops… The authorities assert that this series of measures should lower the number of plastic bags by 20 millions per year.

Noteworthy initiatives can be observed all over the world. Thus, the global environmental awareness is awakening on this obvious source of pollution. However, efforts must be carried on to keep up with the target dates in order to drastically reduce plastic. If you would like to know more about the current situation in the European Union, check out Surfrider’s report Still finding excuses.