No plans yet to stop shops handing out plastic bags: minister

Shops and the Dutch retail sector have been given until June to come up with a plan to reduce the number of plastic bags they hand out to customers.

Experiments with charging shoppers 10 cents for a bag have been shown to reduce waste, junior environment minister Wilma Mansveld told parliament.

In addition, retailers could start a public information campaign encouraging people to take their own shopping bags, the minister said.

The aim of the retail sector’s plan should be to see a ‘significant reduction’ in the use of plastic bags by 2015, the minister said. If this does not happen, the government will introduce legislation to force change.

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