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Berlin (dpa) - From January 2022, plastic bags will be banned at checkouts in Germany.
The Federal Council approved the law in Berlin on Friday.
Previously, the grand coalition in the Bundestag had extended the transition period for business from the planned six to twelve months.
It's about so-called lightweight plastic carrier bags with a wall thickness between 15 and 50 micrometers - these are the standard bags that you get when shopping.
Exceptions are particularly stable reusable bags and the thin plastic bags that can be found at the fruit and vegetable stand.
In the past few years, the number of plastic bags used in Germany fell sharply after many retailers had voluntarily committed themselves not to give them away for free.
The trade association HDE announced on Friday that the issue of plastic carrier bags had been reduced by almost 70 percent since 2015 and that the ban was superfluous.
In 2019 there were still 18 lightweight plastic carrier bags per head for which the ban has now been decided.
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Some shops no longer offer disposable plastic bags at the checkout, but instead rely on alternatives made of paper, cardboard boxes or fabric.
The extent to which their ecological balance compares with plastic carrier bags when they are only used once or a few times is controversial.
However, the aim of the ban initiated by Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) is to avoid plastic waste.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 201218-99-741867 / 2
Information on the law