18/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - Consultation on reducing use of plastic bags. The European Commission will be launching a consultation on how best to reduce the use of plastic bags. Every year, the average EU citizen consumes approximately 500 plastic carrier bags, most of which are used only once. The total volume of plastic carrier bags produced in Europe in 2008 was 3.4 million tonnes. The lightness and small size of plastic bags means they often escape waste management and end up in the...