As expected, the recently announced proposal by the European Commission (EC) to reduce lightweight plastic carrier bag consumption – see Plasteurope.com of 06.11.2013 – has been met by a bevy of conflicting feedback. Plastics associations such as European Plastics Converters (EuPC, Brussels / Belgium; www.plasticsconverters.eu) have voiced harsh criticism regarding the commission's decision to allow each member state to determine its own strategy, such as additional charges, levying a tax, or a complete banning of the product, for the reduction of the lightweight bags. In contrast, naturally, environmental groups and the German-based association European Bioplastics (Berlin; www.european-bioplastics.org) welcome the proposed actions to be taken from Brussels.

From the perspective of the EuPC, the proposal's willingness to allow each country to determine what works, harms the essence of a competitive EU market for plastic bags and is an "attack on the internal market" itself. In a rebuttal issued 6 November, it states that the proposal appears to be an aim to legalise the current Italian situation, which bans non-biodegradable and non-compostable bags, which the EuPC claims is a violation of EU law. The association further argues that the proposal will allow other member states to follow suit and ban all bags. It also points out that the EC's CO₂ emissions calculation regarding a potential savings is wrong and instead would translate to a savings of around 1.44m t annually and not a "factor 100 times higher" as stated in the EC's proposal.

"Ultimately, this proposal appears to be a short-sighted response to the bigger issue of waste management in Europe," stated EuPC's managing director, Alexandre Dangis, adding "This is unfortunate for the product targeted and indeed the several hundred SMEs in Europe that face a potential shutdown if this proposal is brought into effect."

Indeed, one of the most important associations in Germany, the packaging producers association – Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen (IK, Bad Homburg; www.kunststoffverpackungen.de) – agrees with the EuPC that "only suitable disposal systems in combination with educating the population will prevent marine litter on a large scale" and not the placement of penalty taxes is the correct approach to reducing the little from lightweight plastic bags. The association supports its argument stating the country has had an "excellent" disposal and recycling system in place for some time and that close to "98% of all plastic packaging is disposed within this system". The IK states this result could only be achieved thanks to a highly motivated participation on behalf of German consumers.

German-based European Bioplastics (Berlin; www.european-bioplastics.org), which represents the interests of the European bioplastics industry, has nothing but praise for the EC's proposal, but wants to ensure, however, that any bioplastic carrier bags are not included in any potential restrictions placed upon lightweight disposable bags.

At PlasticsEurope (Brussels / Belgium; www.plasticseurope.org), Dr. Martin Engelmann, the association's advocacy director, says he supports the idea of increasing fees for all carrier bags – not just ones made of plastic – to increase awareness among consumers of the raw materials and respective costs involved in these products. However, he disagrees with the idea of each member country being able to implement its own rules and regulations for achieving a reduction in plastic bag consumption, calling the concept problematic. Allowing a patchwork of different national regulations stands in complete opposition to the idea of creating a uniform and united market.