The right-wing conservative government in Austria wants to ban all plastic bags from 2020 onwards. This affects all plastic bags with handle or handle hole, said the responsible Ministry of Sustainability in Vienna.
Austria is the third EU country after France and Italy to tackle such a total ban, said Minister Elisabeth Köstinger (ÖVP). "There are enough alternatives to the plastic bag," it said.
Heavy and sturdy plastic bags, such as those sold in furniture markets, are exempted from the prohibition plans, as they would generally be used multiple times.
In addition, Austria plans to ban the addition of plastic particles to cosmetics and detergents, unless the European Union itself has a solution to the problem before 2020.
According to the local Ministry of the Environment, around 430 million plastic bags are circulated annually in Austria alone via the food trade. This corresponds to up to 7000 tons of plastic waste per year. A lot of waste generated thin plastic bags, such as those for the purchase of fruit and vegetables in supermarkets auslägen, said a ministry spokesman.