EU member states could slash plastic bag use by 80 percent by charging for them or banning them altogether, the European Commission said on Monday.<br /><br />Plastic shopping bags are one of the main causes of sea pollution. <br /><br />The EU reckons eight billion of them end up as litter each year.<br /><br />The European Commission, the EU executive, is proposing three possible ways for member states to cut their use: charges, national reduction targets, or an outright ban.<br /><br />But biodegradable bags are not exempt, the European Commission says they should not be seen as an alternative to solving the problem of littering.<br /><br />“Biodegradable plastic will only degrade in a reasonable time if disposed of and treated in appropriate conditions such as biological waste treatment facilities or industrial composting sites. Therefore, they do not constitute a solution to the problem of littering,” said Janez Potocnik, the EU Environment Commissioner.<br /><br />Twelve EU countries, including the UK, have already taken steps to charge for bags.<br /><br />Commission estimates say that each EU citizen uses an average of 175 non-reusable plastic bags a year.
