France has banned plastic grocery bags from July 1, in an effort to reduce their use; an estimated 17 billion are used in France per year.
France has boosted its ecological credentials with a recent ban on plastic grocery bags, which came into effect on July 1. However, shops will still be allowed to sell shopping bags to customers that are thicker than 50 micrometers, on the basis that they are reusable.
The ban on common grocery bags will be followed by a ban on small plastic bags used for fruit and vegetables, or meat and fish, which will go into force on January 1, 2017.
According to the French government, five billion plastic bags are given out at checkout counters in France each year, and 12 billion are used to wrap fruit and vegetables.
The ban came into force just in time for International Plastic Bag Free Day on July 3.
Nordic Eco-Warriors
The government hopes that the new law will put France on a par with more environmentally friendly countries like Denmark and Finland, where inhabitants only use an average of four plastic bags per year.
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