List of Countries in the European Union Policies regarding plastic consumption

Belgium  Prevention of single-use plastic waste

(Organisers of events will no longer be
allowed to offer disposable beverage
cups unless over 90% can be recycled)
 Plastic tax
(levy on non-recycled plastic packaging
waste)
 Packaging Tax
( Higher tax on products that covers
single-use plastic bags, along with
some other environmentally damaging
products )

France  Plastic bags banned

(Retailers are no longer allowed to
provide plastic bags to customers)
 Tax on consumer goods
(increase the cost of consumer goods
using non-recycled plastic packaging)
 The energy transition law
(complete ban on plastic straws,
cocktail sticks, plates and cups)
 Recycling measure
(higher taxes on landfills, VAT rate
reduced on recycling operations and
labels on products indicating if the
packaging is made from recycling
plastic or not)
Germany  Ban on single-use plastic
(disposable plastic products such as
straws, cutlery and cotton buds are
banned)
Italy  Ban on plastic bags
(only biodegradable, cloth or paper
bags to be offered or sold in shops,
shopping malls and supermarkets)
 Plastic tax
(the amount of tax was fixed at 0.45
€/kg on products such as bottles, bags
and food containers in polyethylene,
tetra pack containers, packaging in
expanded polystyrene, rolls of pluri-ball
plastic and caps in plastic and etc)
 Ban of Single-Use plastic
( Certain part of the country started to
ban single-use plastics )
Luxembourg  Reduce single-use plastic
(all disposable plastic bags thicker than 15
micrometres are to be banned from the
country)
 Netherlands  Ban on free plastic bags
(free plastic bags are prohibited in the
Netherlands)
 Controlled Plastic
(Plastic bags sold by the retailers has to
be under 0.015mm thickness)
 Ban of single-use plastic
(Products such as plastic plates, cutlery,
stirrers, and straws are to be banned)
Denmark  Ban of single-use plastic
(All single-use plastic bags and products
made from plastic are banned except
for clear plastic bags used for fruit and
vegetables and paper bags for pick-and-
mix sweets amongst certain other item)
 Price hike for plastics
(All plastic carrier bags thicker than 30
micrometres, with or without handles,
will cost at least 4 kroner)
Ireland  Ban on single-use plastic
(Ban on certain single-use plastic
products)
 Cigarette Makers
(to reduce plastic in filters by half)
 Levy on plastic bags
(consumer are taxed for plastic bags
sold by shops, supermarket and etc)
United Kingdom  Plastic packaging tax
( Manufacturers are taxed for plastic
packaging, tax is exempted if the
product contains a minimum of 30%
recycled plastic )
 Ban on single-use plastic
(Certain single-use plastic products are
banned)
 Tax on plastic bags
(Consumers are taxed for plastic bags)
 Ban of microbeads
(Cosmetic products containing
microbeads are banned)
 Plastic bag ban in supermarkets
(supermarkets no longer sell or provide
plastic bags to customers)

Greece  Ban on single-use plastic

(Certain single-use plastic products are
banned)
 Plastic bag fee
(plastic bags are taxed)
 Portugal  Ban on single-use plastic
(Certain single-use plastic are banned)
 Implementation of incentives and
deposit return system
(reward system for collecting and
recycling plastic beverage packing)
 Plastic bag free supermarkets
(Supermarket are no longer allowed to
provide or sell plastic bags to
customers)
Spain  Plastic packaging tax
(Manufacturers are taxed if the product
is packaged with non-recycled plastic)
 Ban on single-use plastic
(certain single-use plastic products are
banned)
 Ban of microplastics
(cosmetic, detergents and etc are
prohibited from using microplastics)

Austria  Plastic carrier bags banned

(Plastic carrier bags are no longer
allowed to be sold in supermarkets and
etc)
 Ban of microplastics
(adding of microplastics to cosmetics
and cleaning agents are banned)
 Ban of single-use plastic
(certain single-use plastic products are
banned)
Finland  Ban on single-use plastics
(certain single-use plastic products are
banned)
Sweden  Tax on plastic bag
(Consumers are taxed for the purchase
of plastic bags according to their
thickness)
 Ban of single-use plastic
(certain single-use plastic products are
banned)
Cyprus  Ban of single-use plastic
(certain single-use plastic products are
banned)
 Tax on plastic bags
(retailers are no longer allowed to
provide free plastic bags and instead
must be paid by customers)
The Czech Republic  Ban of single-use plastic
(certain single use plastic products are
banned)
 Tax on plastic bags
 (retailers are no longer allowed to
provide free plastic bags to the
customers)
Estonia  Tax on plastic bags
(Stores are no longer allowed to
provide free plastic bags to customers)
 Ban of single-use plastic
(certain single use plastic products are
banned)
Hungary  Ban of single-use plastic
(certain single use plastic products are
banned)
 Manufacturing and importing tax
( Manufacturing and importing of
plastic bags are heavily taxed based on
their thickness)
Latvia  Packaging tax
( Products containing plastic packaging
are additionally taxed)
 Ban of free plastic bags
(Retailers are no longer allowed to
provide free plastic bags to the
customers)
 Ban of single-use plastic
(certain single use plastic products are
Banned)
Lithuania  Ban of free plastic bags
(Retailers are no longer allowed to
provide free plastic bags to the
customers)
 Ban of single-use plastic
(certain single use plastic products are
banned)
 Introduction of Deposit system
(customers pay extra when paying for
certain plastic products(soft drinks and
etc) are refunded back when brought
back to the retailers)
Malta  Ban of single-use plastic
(certain single use plastic products are
Banned)
Poland  Implementation of recycling fee
(a recycling fee is to be imposed on all
plastic bags ranging from 15 to 50
microns)
 Ban of single-use plastic
(certain single use plastic products are
Banned)

Slovakia  Ban of single-use plastic

(certain single use plastic products are
 Banned)
 Ban of free plastic bags
(Retailers are no longer allowed to
provide free plastic bags to the
customers)
Bulgaria  Ban of single-use plastic
(certain single use plastic products are
Banned)
 Tax on plastic bags
(All plastic bags regardless of thickness
are taxed)
Romania  Ban of thin plastic bags
(Very thin plastic bags are banned)
 Plastic packaging tax
(Products containing non-recycled
plastic packaging are taxed)
 Ban of single-use plastic
(certain single use plastic products are
Banned)
Croatia  Ban of single-use plastic
(certain single use plastic products are
Banned)
 Ban of free plastic bags
(Retailers are no longer allowed to
provide free plastic bags to the
customers)