No More Plastic Shopping Bags Starting 2010: Here’s the Eco-Shopper

“The new containers will be manufactured in bio plastics (bio polymer called mater-bi), obtained from maize and other vegetal materials, which is a little more expensive, but certainly ecological and biodegradable.

08/12/08 From 1 January 2010, following the European Directive on packaging, the plastic shopping bags that consumers use daily for all their purchases will no longer exist, as it shall not be possible to use the polymer anymore (the material employed for manufacturing bags)”. That’s what Massimiliano Dona, Secretary General of the National Consumers’ Union stated.

“The new containers – explains Dona – will be manufactured in bio plastics (bio polymer called mater-bi), obtained from maize and other vegetal materials, which is a little more expensive, but certainly ecological and biodegradable. Otherwise the containers will be simple little bags manufactured with natural material used more than once”.

“In fact, the plastic bags – goes on Dona – pollute not only on when being disposed of, but especially during production. It is estimated that over 430,000 tons of oil are burned to produce 200,000 tons of bags and that each one of us uses (only once!) 30 kg annually”. “With the new eco-shoppers – concludes Dona – that consumers are likely to use repeatedly and to carry along always, the consumption habits will certainly change, but pollution will definitely fall and saving on bags will rise.”