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 marine environment, where their eventual decay can take hundreds of years. Some member states have already taken action through pricing measures, agreements with the retail sector and bans on certain types of bags, but no specific measures exist at the EU level. The consultation will therefore explore several different ways of reducing the use of plastic bags, such as introducing a set price or tax and banning plastic bags EU wide. The public will also be asked about how it considers biodegradable packing products' visibility can be improved, in addition to increasing biodegradable packaging requirements. The online consultation will take place until August 2011 (http: //ec.europa.eu/yourvoice/consultations/index_en.htm). (E.H.trans/fl)