Berlin 25 November 2014 Yesterday The European Institutions Adopted A Legislative Proposal Amending The Packaging And Packaging Waste Directive Ppwd That Addresses The Challenge Of Conventional Single Use Plastic Carrier Bags Consumption And Explicitly Sanctions The Actions Of Several Member States That Have Already Recognized The Benefits Of Compostable Bagseuropean Bioplastics Welcomes The Strong Environmental Commitment Of Green Mep Margrete Auken The European Parliamentrsquos Lead Negotiator For The Legislation Commenting On The Binding Eu Rules On Reducing Plastic Bag Use Ms Auken Stated Ldquoeu Member States Will Have To Take Action To Reduce Plastic Bag Use But They Will Be Able To Choose How To Do It Either They Introduce Pricing For Plastic Bags Or Equally Effective Measures Or They Deliver On Ambitious Reduction Targetsrdquothe Proposal Adopted Explicitly Pushes Decision Making To The Local Member State Level Where Decisions Can Best Be Made Consistent With Local Infrastructure Practices And Markets Ldquothis Is Crucial Because It Retroactively Legalizes National Legislation Of Member States Like Italy And France Both States Have Recognized The Benefits That Are Achievable With Biodegradable And Compostable Shopping Bagsrdquo Said Franccedilois De Bie Chairman Of European Bioplasticsldquothese Countries Are Pioneers In Putting The Decisive Ecological Advantages Of Such Bags To Good Use This Means Enhancing The Separate Collection Of Biowaste And Thereby Diverting It From Landfillrdquo In This Context European Bioplastics Also Highly Appreciates The Endorsement Of The En13432 As The Standard To Certify Biodegradation And The Initiative To Further Improve Biodegradability And Compostability Labelling For Plastic Carrier Bagsdescribing Lsquooxobiodegradablersquo Plastic Bags As Ldquohugely Problematicrdquo Mep Auken Explained Ldquothese Plastic Bags Worsen The Litter Problem By Fragmenting Into Microplastics Polluting The Environment And Hindering Composting And Recyclingrdquo European Bioplastics Shares The View Of Margrete Auken Concerning The Missed Chance Of Banning The Oxodegradable Plastics Ldquothis Would Have Sent A Clear Signal That Bags Should Not Be Placed On The Market With Misleading Claims About Biodegradabilityrdquo De Bie Argued Ldquoon The Other Hand It Will Only Be A Matter Of Timerdquo He Is Convinced Referring To The Requirement Of The Commission To Present A Report To The European Parliament And Council Examining The Impact Of The Use Of Oxodegradable Bags On The Environment Ldquothe Report Will Clearly Show That Oxodegradable Plastics Are Not Biodegradable And Hence Do Not Qualify As An Ecological Solutionrdquo De Bie Concluded
