have plastic bags really disappeared since they were banned?

Almost six years after the ban on plastic bags, have they really disappeared from stalls? When the law changed, traders had to invest in authorized bags, which cost up to twice as much as the old ones. According to them, it is impossible to completely do without plastic. “We’re going to take a few more years for it to become a little more commonplace. Unfortunately, there are still people who do their shopping without a bag, and we (…) must also provide, unfortunately, this service.“, explains Florian Gargaro, scoop.

Among the plastic bags still authorized, thick plastic bags, which must bear the mention “reusable”, and those in thinner plastic and partly composed of digital materials, which must bear the mention “compostable”. The thin plastic ones, without any mention, are illegal and should no longer be distributed. Counterfeit or imported, they cost less to traders, many of whom would still use them. However, offenders risk up to 15,000 euros in fines. Customers are not always very up to date. In the oceans, bags still affect nearly 700 marine species. According the Surfrider Foundation Europe, their number has not changed for six years.