Isra-Mart srl:Italy bids "addio" to plastic bags

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Isra-Mart srl news:

Italy has stepped up its fight against plastic bag handouts in a bid to reduce waste and pollution after the government imposed an outright ban on single use plastic bags.

The government's council of ministers finally approved the ban late last month, ensuring that it came into effect on 1 January and preventing retailers from handing out non-biodegradable plastic bags once they have used up their current stocks.

The government had already imposed a levy on plastic bags, but has now intensified the crackdown despite opposition from industry groups that tried to delay the ban.

The ruling was welcomed by environment minister Stefania Prestigiacomo and several green groups who had campaigned against industry proposals to extend the deadline.

"This is a major innovation introduced by the government, which marks a crucial step forward in the fight against pollution, making us all more responsible in terms of reuse and recycling," said Prestigiacomo. "To get concrete results, you need the full involvement of traders, both small and large, and citizens, because they will experiment with alternatives to plastic bags."

According to CNN, environmental group Legambiente has estimated that each Italian used around 300 plastic bags a year, and that 180,000 tons of oil would be saved if people switched to using 10 biodegradable bags per year.

In a statement, Legambiente deputy director Andrea Poggio described the ruling as a "victory for environmentalism".

"With this decision, Italy is a leader on this front, between the industrialised countries. And the measure is of great importance for advancing the collection of organic waste, for which the biodegradable bags is essential," he said.