Before taxing very light, transparent plastic bags, in the months of January–June 2023, as many as 94.7 million were used in “Maxima” stores. In the first half of this year – only 39.2 million.
Read more 100 km/h speed and a woman killed in Paris: what do Polish license plates have to do with it
“A few years ago, it was common for compatriots to take a separate transparent bag for almost every product – even for those that do not need them at all: a yogurt cup, a pack of butter, or a bunch of bananas. Today, more and more people decide not to take transparent single-use bags and use reusable bags,” notes G. Zabelskytė.
According to her, the biggest change is seen precisely in buyers’ habits – more and more people think briefly before taking a bag whether they really need it. Since the use of very light plastic bags has been steadily decreasing since 2023, according to the head of “Maxima’s” Sustainability Department, it is already possible to talk about the formation of a long-term trend.
“One bag not taken does not seem important or significant. But when many people do not take it, and such a decision becomes daily, the overall impact on the environment becomes tangible and significant,” emphasizes G. Zabelskytė.
The head of “Maxima’s” Sustainability adds that the reduced use of very light, transparent single-use plastic bags is also beneficial for the retail chain: lower demand allows reducing acquisition, logistics, and storage costs and using resources more efficiently.
Read more “Energesman” promises not to accept sorted “Ekonovus” waste if it is not paid for
How do we look in the EU context?
However, Lithuania still remains one of the EU countries using the most of these bags: according to Eurostat data, in 2022, on average, almost 250 bags per person, or almost 5 per week, were used.
According to data from the Lithuanian Environmental Protection Agency, during the period 2018–2024, the amount of very light, transparent single-use plastic bags (thinner than 15 microns) in our country decreased by almost 49% – from 755 million to 385 million units. The largest annual decrease was recorded in 2023, when their number dropped by almost a quarter.
The European Union is actively working to reduce the use of these bags – to no more than 40 bags per EU resident per year.
Recent Eurostat data from 2022 show that progress is being made throughout the European Union. If in 2018, on average, about 95 very light plastic bags were used per European, by 2022 their number decreased to 66.6.
Read more “Grožis”: Ukraine intrigued with images of a missile launched in an unknown direction
