bioplasticsMAGAZINE_1406
bioplasticsMAGAZINE_1406
bioplasticsMAGAZINE_1406
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Politics<br />
Geography<br />
EU / EC<br />
proposal<br />
Bulgaria<br />
Bagislation<br />
(enforced)<br />
Most likely<br />
(2017 or later)<br />
Yes<br />
(Oct. 2012)<br />
Type Scope / Criteria Exemption Level / Cost<br />
MBI & Bans<br />
– up to MS<br />
Tax<br />
SUPCB / < 50 µm<br />
SUPCB / < 15 µm?<br />
Or all plastic bags? (late news)<br />
EC: none (up to MS)<br />
EP: Biodegradable Plastics<br />
Biodegradables acc. EN<br />
13432<br />
(up to MS)<br />
“Progressive tax -<br />
appr. 28 Cents / bag 2014”<br />
Denmark Yes (2001) Tax all bags > 5 l (plastic & paper) none 22 DKK = appr. 3 € / kg<br />
France<br />
Germany<br />
Ireland<br />
Italy<br />
Netherlands<br />
Romania<br />
Spain<br />
UK:<br />
England<br />
N-Ireland<br />
Scotland<br />
Wales<br />
Most likely<br />
(Jan. 2016)<br />
No<br />
Yes<br />
(2007)<br />
Yes<br />
(01-2011)<br />
No<br />
Yes<br />
(01-2009)<br />
No<br />
(suspended<br />
2014)<br />
Yes<br />
(Autumn 2015)<br />
Yes<br />
(04-2013)<br />
Yes<br />
(proposal,<br />
10-2014)<br />
Yes<br />
(10-2011)<br />
“Ban<br />
(before:Tax)”<br />
Charge / Levy<br />
Ban<br />
not yet defined (decree)<br />
SUPCB / < xx µm (?)<br />
all plastic bags; various criteria<br />
most plastic CB - complex: size, thickness,<br />
type, applic., ...<br />
Tax n. n.<br />
Charge (Levy)<br />
Charge (Levy)<br />
Charge (Levy)<br />
Charge (Levy)<br />
until 2014:<br />
progressive subsitution targets<br />
SUPCB<br />
to be further defined<br />
SU bags incl. paper & plastic &<br />
plantbased materials<br />
all SU bags<br />
(all materials)<br />
SU bags incl. paper & plastic & plantbased,<br />
complex: < 49 µm, size < 40x44 cm, a. o.<br />
Biodegradables (EN 13432)<br />
> 40% biobased content<br />
for specific applications;<br />
not for biodegradables<br />
Biodegradables acc EN 13432<br />
unclear - probably for<br />
EN 13432 biodegradables<br />
until 2014:<br />
Biodegradables acc.<br />
EN 13432<br />
DEFRA proposes:<br />
Biodegradables be exempt<br />
several applications<br />
(not bioplastics)<br />
complex, small businesses<br />
& several appl. exempt (not<br />
biopl.)<br />
for several applications<br />
(not for bioplastics)<br />
“Ban<br />
(until 03-2014:<br />
tax 6 Cents / bag)”<br />
10–20 Cents<br />
pricing is very common<br />
22 Cents / bag<br />
“ban of non-biodegradable;<br />
biodegradable bags for free<br />
or sold”<br />
0,2 Lei / bag (25 Cents)<br />
5 Pence / bag<br />
5 Pence / bag<br />
5 Pence / bag<br />
5 Pence / bag<br />
Abbreviations: MS = Member State(s); SUPCB = Single-Use Plastic Carrier Bags; MBI = Market-based Instruments, MBT = Mechanical Biological Treatment<br />
(mixed waste composting), Ct=Euro-Cent<br />
A more comprehensive versio of this ‘mapping’ can be downloaded from www.bioplasticsmagazine.de(20<strong>1406</strong>)<br />
Tab 2.: Mapping Bagislation in Europe (selection)<br />
Whilst the EU framework legislation is still pending and<br />
predictions on a final version are hard to make for now,<br />
it is clear that EU/MS legislation will vary significantly.<br />
When mapping out national laws addressing carrier bags<br />
the current picture resembles a puzzle showing variations<br />
regarding the scope (which bags are addressed) the criteria<br />
(definitions what is in and out) and applied measures. Table 2<br />
lists the main aspects of Bagislation in some selected EU/MS.<br />
On one extreme, Italy has banned plastic bags up to 100 µm<br />
and exempted biodegradable EN 13432 conforming bags.<br />
Because of assumed discrimination and violation of §18 an EC<br />
Fig. 4: How to avoid damage from littering?<br />
infringement was run against Italy – but put on hold with regard<br />
to the running PPWD revision procedure. The UK members<br />
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland imposed pricing<br />
measures on all types of carrier bags, with no exemptions<br />
for biodegradables. England’s proposed measures foresee<br />
privileging biodegradable bags – if they can find the perfect<br />
bag which biodegrades quickly in home compost, and<br />
anaerobically in digestion plants. France recently changed<br />
its earlier proposal to tax all plastic bags by at least 6 Cents,<br />
switching to a ban of non-biodegradable single-use plastics<br />
bags, starting in 2016. Like France, England has not yet laid<br />
down more specific criteria. Countries like France, Spain<br />
or Romania proposed exemptions for biodegradable plastic<br />
bags but none of them so far have enforced any legislation.<br />
None of them has a fully established organic waste<br />
collection and industrial composting infrastructure. For at<br />
least a significant part of the population this question arises:<br />
Where to put biodegradable plastic bags after use, and,<br />
would this affect conventional plastic recycling? Another<br />
extreme is a country like Germany where organic recycling<br />
schemes are well established but industrial composters are<br />
against compostable carrier bags. The German biowaste<br />
legislation is allowing the composting of only specific nonpackaging<br />
items like biowaste collection bags. In Germany<br />
only reusable plastic bags were sold at most supermarkets<br />
and PE film recycling is increasing.<br />
46 bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/14] Vol. 9