July 3rd International Plastic Bag Free Day – Spain still has some way to go

July 3rd International Plastic Bag Free Day – Spain still has some way to go

One year after the Royal Decree 293/2018 came into force making it compulsory to charge for single-use plastic bags (between 15 and 50 microns), the Ministry for Ecological Transition has not yet published any official data on the reduction of use of lightweight plastic bags.

Greenpeace, however, has been able to verify that a large number of establishments including grocery markets, home delivery companies, takeaway restaurants, markets, bakeries, fishmongers, butchers, etc. are failing to impose this charge. 

This Royal Decree is clearly insufficient unless it is modified to include all kinds of plastic bags such as the thicker and heavier bags used by many clothing stores as well as the small lightweight bags typically used in the fruit & vegetable sections of supermarkets.

Equally, it is thought that the law should encompass bags of other materials such as paper, which simply transfers the environmental problem from one ecosystem to another.

As of today, the Spanish Government has two years in which to implement suitable legislation in compliance with the European Directive to reduce the environmental impact of certain plastic products.

Source: Greenpeace