Legal Limits on Single-Use
Plastics and Microplastics:
A Global Review of National
Laws and Regulations

United Nations Environment Programme | I

Disclaimer
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Moreover, the views expressed do not necessarily represent the decision or thestated policy of the the Secretariat of the United Nations or the United Nations
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Legal Limits on Single-Use
Plastics and Microplastics:
A Global Review of National Laws
and Regulations

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This is a publication of the United Nations Environment Programme developed in partnership with the World
Resources Institute (WRI). The report was drafted by Carole Excell, Celine Salcedo-La Viña, Jesse Worker, andElizabeth Moses of the World Resources Institute. Specific thanks to Emily van Bronkhorst and Nataniel Warszawski
for administrative support for the project and the research. Guidance was also provided by Lara Ognibene and Heidi
Savelli-Soderberg of UN Environment. UN Environment also wishes to thank the multiple lawyers and researchers
who conducted in-country research including Brice Severin Pongui, Carmen Capriles, Carmit Lubanov, Chundy Huon,
Clarisa Vega, Csaba Kiss, Dan NgabIran, Daniel Barragan, Danielle Andrade, Fajri Fadhillah, Gabriela Burdiles, Gonca
West-Herr, Hla Hla Htay, Huon Chundy, Isabel Felandro, Jafar Barmaki, Jeffrey, Phang, Joel Celestin Mamboundou,
Junyi Zhang, Lina Muñoz, Max Djondo, Mihiri Gunewardene, Ram Sah, Ratchada Arpornsilp, Ritwick Dutta, Said
Chakri, Sergio Magonov, Sonia Montenegro, Sunwook Hong, Tumai Murombo, Urantsooj Gombosuren, and Wassim
Chaabane.
The preparation of this report was made possible thanks to the generous contribution of the Government of France.

IV | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Iv
Key Findings................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 3
Executive Summary.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Glossary 0f Terms....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Methodology......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Plastic Bags.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................10Single Use Plastics ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................10
Key Findings ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................10
Microbeads..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................11
An Overview Of Regulatory Approaches Controlling Plastic Bags..................................................................................................................................................12
Regulatory Approaches ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................13
Bans Or Restrictions..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................13
Thickness Requirement....................................................................................................................................................................................................................17
Material Composition Or Type.........................................................................................................................................................................................................19
Production Volume Or Number Restrictions................................................................................................................................................................................21
Promotion Of The Use By Consumer Of Reusable Bags............................................................................................................................................................21
Exemptions From Plastic Bag Ban.................................................................................................................................................................................................22
Market-Based Instruments .............................................................................................................................................................................................................34
Return, Collection, Recycling And Disposal Of Plastic................................................................................................................................................................41
Extended Producer Responsibility .................................................................................................................................................................................................41
Recycling Targets...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................44
Fines Related To Plastic Bag Legislation .....................................................................................................................................................................................45
City Level Regulation Of Plastic Bags............................................................................................................................................................................................46
Regulatory Approaches ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................47
An Overview Of Regulatory Approaches Controlling Single Use Plastic Items.............................................................................................................................47
Market-Based Instruments .............................................................................................................................................................................................................55
Taxes On Manufacturers Or Producers, Importers, And Retailers...........................................................................................................................................55
Regulation Of Single-Use Plastic Disposal ...................................................................................................................................................................................57
Extended Producer Responsibility .................................................................................................................................................................................................57
Deposit-Refund Schemes.................................................................................................................................................................................................................61
Recycling Mandates..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................63
An Overview Of Regulatory Approaches Controlling Microbeads...................................................................................................................................................70
Characteristics Of The National Laws And Regulations............................................................................................................................................................72
Definition Of Microbead....................................................................................................................................................................................................................73
Prohibition Of Use And Manufacture.............................................................................................................................................................................................73
Type Of Products Covered...............................................................................................................................................................................................................74
Exemptions..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................76
Phase In Dates....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................76
Countries With Proposed Laws.......................................................................................................................................................................................................77
Regional Government Support For Microbead Bans..................................................................................................................................................................82
Other Voluntary Approaches............................................................................................................................................................................................................83
Conclusions................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................84
Recommendations:...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................86
Annex...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................87
References..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................91
Secondary Sources:.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................108
End Notes..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................111

United Nations Environment Programme | 1

Tables
Table 1: Plastic Bag Bans or Restrictions.............................................................................................................................................................................................14
Table 2: Countries with Thickness Thresholds for Plastic Bags......................................................................................................................................................18
Table 3: Regional Distribution of Countries with Thickness Requirements for Plastic Bags.....................................................................................................18
Table 4: Regional Distribution and Type of Plastic Bag Material Composition Requirement ....................................................................................................20
Table 5: Countries with Mandates for Reusable Bags.......................................................................................................................................................................22
Table 6: Types of Exemptions from Plastic Bag Bans.......................................................................................................................................................................23
Table 7: Country Specific Narratives on plastic bags: Latin American and the Caribbean.........................................................................................................24
Table 8: Country Specific Narratives Plastic Bags: Africa.................................................................................................................................................................25
Table 9: Country Specific Narratives for Plastic bags: Europe.........................................................................................................................................................28
Table 10: Country Specific Narratives for plastic bags: Asia and Pacific.......................................................................................................................................30
Table 11: Country specific narratives Plastic Bags: Western Asia...................................................................................................................................................33
Table 12: Country specific narratives plastic bags: Canada and USA............................................................................................................................................33
Table 13: Countries which have proposed new legislation on plastic bags as of July 2018.....................................................................................................33
Table 14: Countries which have a tax on manufacture/ production/import of plastic bags......................................................................................................35
Table 15: Countries which charge a levy or fee for plastic bags at the national level on the consumer..................................................................................36
Table 17: Country examples of the regulation of plastic bags through levies or fees.................................................................................................................38
Table 18: Examples of EPR rules that apply to packaging and plastic bags.................................................................................................................................42
Table 19: Regional distribution of countries that include EPR in the regulation of plastic bags...............................................................................................43
Table 20: Regional distribution of countries that require recycling within the regulation of plastic bags...............................................................................44
Table 21: Examples of fines related to plastic bags within Legislation..........................................................................................................................................45
Table 22: Polymer types and commonly associated plastic products...........................................................................................................................................47
Table 23: National bans and restrictions on single-use plastics......................................................................................................................................................51
Table 24: Bans and Restrictions by Region..........................................................................................................................................................................................53
Table 25: Types of taxation on single-use plastics.............................................................................................................................................................................56
Table 26: Regional distribution of countries with Extended Producer Responsibility..................................................................................................................59
Table 27: Examples of EPR rules from different countries...............................................................................................................................................................60
Table 28: Countries with Mandated Deposit-Refund Schemes........................................................................................................................................................61
Table 29: Regional Distribution of Countries with Recycling Mandates.........................................................................................................................................64
Table 30: Examples of Country Narrative of Recycling Mandates..................................................................................................................................................65
Table 31: Countries with Fiscal Incentives for Single-Use Plastics Recycling...............................................................................................................................66
Table 32: Types of recycling mandates, both specific to single-use plastics or general mandates that
implicitly include single-use plastics as solid waste.........................................................................................................................................................67
Table 33: Microbead Laws and Regulations........................................................................................................................................................................................72
Table 34: Definitions of microbeads in national laws or regulations..............................................................................................................................................73
Table 35: Type of prohibitions limiting microbeads use in ....................................................................................................................................................................
national laws and regulations................................................................................................................................................................................................74
Table 36: Type of products covered under national laws and regulations limiting the use and sale of microbeads............................................................75
Table 37: Type of Product covered in country national law or regulation......................................................................................................................................76
Table 38: Type of exemption of microbead containing product in country laws and regulations.............................................................................................76
Table 39: Dates when control of microbead use takes effect in countries with laws and regulations....................................................................................77
Table 40: Countries organized by different type of voluntary initiative...........................................................................................................................................79
Table 41: Summary of the voluntary approaches taken by each country......................................................................................................................................80
Table 42: Plastic Bag Indicators.............................................................................................................................................................................................................87
Table 43: Single Use Plastics Indicators...............................................................................................................................................................................................88
Table 44: Microbead Indicators..............................................................................................................................................................................................................90
FiguresFigure 1| Countries with National Legislation on Plastic Bags.........................................................................................................................................................12
Figure 2 | Types of National Restrictions or Bans..............................................................................................................................................................................16
Figure 3 | Number of Countries with Partial Bans..............................................................................................................................................................................17
Figure 4 | Regional Disaggregation of Reusable Bag Regulations..................................................................................................................................................22
Figure 5 I Countries with Levies and Fees according to Type..........................................................................................................................................................34
Figure 6 | Countries with laws that provide tax breaks for manufacturers to recycle or produce reusable bags..................................................................37
Figure 7 | Number of countries with characteristics of extended producer responsibility........................................................................................................42
Figure 8 | Number of bans by type.........................................................................................................................................................................................................49
Figure 9 | Bans on Specific Products.....................................................................................................................................................................................................55
Figure 10 | Regional Distribution of Countries with and without microbead laws......................................................................................................................71
Figure 11 | Countries that do and do not have national level laws or regulations controlling the use of microbeads.........................................................71
Figure 12 | Number of Countries with different types of microbead prohibitions........................................................................................................................74
Figure 13 | Number of countries disaggregated by voluntary ..............................................................................................................................................................
approach to the control of microbeads...............................................................................................................................................................................79
Figure 14 | Voluntary measures to control microbeads disaggregated by region........................................................................................................................80
Boxes
Box 1: European Union Regional Initiatives to Reduce Plastic Waste.............................................................................................................................................54
Box 2: Selected Examples of Subnational Action...............................................................................................................................................................................54
Box 3: Examples of proposed legislation to restrict single-use plastics........................................................................................................................................69
Box 4: Examples of subnational laws regulating the use and sale of microbead containing products...................................................................................72
2 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report provides a global overview on the progress ofcountries in passing laws and regulations that limit the
manufacture, import, sale, use and disposal of selected
single-use plastics and microplastics which have a great
impact in the production of marine litter
It is based on a review of national
legally-binding instruments that
include bans and restrictions, taxes
and levies, and waste management
measures to enhance disposal,
encourage reuse and recycling,
and promote alternatives to plastic
products. The report includes
three sections: 1) plastic bags, 2)
other single-use plastics, and 3)
microbeads. It seeks to provide amore thorough understanding of
the scope and types of regulatory
approaches policymakers are
employing to address plastic
pollution. It does not, however,assess the effectiveness of theimplementation or enforcement ofthese measures. It also does notcomprehensively assess action
at the subnational level, though it
does provide a few highlights ofmeasures that states and cities aretaking. The report should enable
future research by enhancing theunderstanding of existing legal
requirements to prevent plastic
pollution at the country level.
This research provides insights on:•

The extent to which bans areapplied to the manufacturing,use, distribution, import, or
export of single- use plastic
products, in addition to whether

the decade, with many countries
enacting restrictions in the past
few years. Plastic bags regulations
include restrictions on the
manufacture, distribution, use,
and trade of plastic bags, taxationand levies, and post-use disposal.
The regulations vary considerably
in their comprehensiveness, but
the most common form is the
restriction on free retail distribution.

they apply to certain products,
materials or production
processes, or use in specificindustries (such as foodservice);Twenty-seven (27) countries haveenacted legislation banning either
specific products (e.g. plates, cups,
straws, packaging), materials (e.g.
polystyrene) or production levels.

•

The type of incentives anddisincentives that have beenenacted—such as taxes andfees—and whether they havebeen applied at the production,
consumption, or disposal stage;

Twenty-seven (27) countries haveinstituted taxes on the manufacture
and production of plastic bags while
thirty (30) charge consumers feesfor plastic bags at the national level.

•

Requirements such as extended
producer responsibility topromote a circular economy
approach to plastic waste;•

The extent to which national
waste management andrecycling laws are applied toplastic waste; and•For microplastics only, an
overview of voluntary measuresused to limit use.

Key Findings
As of July 2018, one hundred
and twenty-seven (127) out of
1921 countries reviewed (about66%) have adopted some formof legislation to regulate plasticbags. The first regulatory measures
specifically targeting plastic bags
were enacted in the early 2000s,
gradually increasing throughout

Forty-three (43) countries haveincluded elements or characteristics
of extended producer responsibility
for plastic bags within legislation.
Sixty-three (63) countries havemandates for extended producer
responsibility for single-use plastics,
including deposit-refunds, producttake-back, and recycling targets.
As of July 2018, eight outof 192 countries worldwide(4%) have established bans of
microbeads through national laws
or regulations. These countries
are Canada, France, Italy, Republicof Korea, New Zealand, Sweden,
the United Kingdom of GreatBritain and Northern Ireland, andthe United States of America. An
additional four countries - Belgium,
Brazil, India, and Ireland - haveproposed new laws or regulations

United Nations Environment Programme | 3

banning microbeads at the national
level. The European Union has also
started a process to restrict theintentional addition of microplastics
to consumer and professional use
products.
Seven out of eight of the countries
with laws or regulations controllingthe use and/or manufactureof microbeads include only asubset of personal care products
documented to contain microbeads.
New Zealand’s microbead law
however not only includes personalcare wash-off products, it also
regulates abrasive household, car
and industrial cleaning products.
The information presented in thisreport documents that countries
are using a wide range of methods
to regulate single-use plastic
bags, plastic single use items, andmicroplastics containing products
at the national level.
These approaches vary by region,
countries, and type of plastic
product, and include bans, market

and trade-based mechanisms, andvoluntary measures. As awarenessand concern over marine plastic
litter and microplastics continues,
controlling the manufacture, use,and disposal of plastic products
will help in particular contributeto Sustainable Development
Goal 14.1.2 Learning from theexperiences of countries that havetaken important steps, like bans,
restrictions, taxes and levies, will
help further momentum to reduce
marine litter and protect the world’s
precious water resources.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS
PLASTIC BAGS
Plastic Carrier Bag - carrier bags, with or without handle, made of plastic, which are supplied to consumers at the
point of sale of goods or products.
Lightweight plastic carrier bags - plastic bags with a wall thickness below 50 microns.
Very lightweight plastic carrier bags - plastic bags with a wall thickness below 15 microns which are required forhygiene purposes or provided as primary packaging for loose food when this helps to prevent food wastage.
Reusable packaging – packaging, including plastic bags, that are conceived and designed to accomplish within its
life cycle a minimum number of uses for the same purpose for which it was conceived.
Recyclable packaging – packaging, including plastic bags, that can be reprocessed in a production process of
the waste materials for the original purpose or for other purposes including organic recycling but excluding energy
recovery.
Biodegradable - packaging in which the waste shall be of such a nature that it is capable of undergoing physical,
chemical, thermal or biological decomposition such that most of the finished compost ultimately decomposes into
carbon dioxide, biomass and water.
Compostable – packaging waste that can be recycled through a process of organic recovery comprised ofcomposting and anaerobic digestion.
Extended Producer Responsibility - an environmental policy approach in which a producer’s responsibility for a
product is extended to the post-consumer stage of a product’s life cycle. It has two related features: (1) the shiftingof responsibility, physically and/or economically (fully or partially), upstream toward the producer and away frommunicipalities for the treatment or disposal of post-consumer products; and (2) providing incentives to producers
to incorporate environmental considerations in the design of their products.
Sources: European Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/EC of 20 December 1994 on packaging and packaging
waste; Directive (EU) 2015/720 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2015 amending Directive
94/62/EC; Extended Producer Responsibility: A Guidance Manual for Government, OECD 2001.
SINGLE USE PLASTIC
Single-use plastics - often also referred to as disposable plastics, are commonly used plastic packaging including
items intended to be used only once before they are thrown away or recycled, e.g., grocery bags, food packaging,bottles, straws, containers, cups, cutlery, etc. Packaging - all products made of any materials of any nature to
be used for the containment, protection, handling, delivery and presentation of goods, from raw materials toprocessed goods, from the producer to the user or the consumer. ‘Non-returnable’ items used for the same
purposes shall also be considered to constitute packaging.
Deposit-Refund System – a system that combines a tax on product consumption with a rebate when the productor its packaging is returned for recycling.

4 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Source: European Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/EC of 20 December 1994 on packaging and packaging
waste; Directive (EU) 2015/720 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2015 amending Directive
94/62/EC.
MICROBEADS
Microbeads – Man made plastic particles intentionally added to consumer products, typically less than or equal to
5 mm in size. Microbeads can vary in chemical composition, size, share and density.
Microplastics – generic terms for small pieces of plastic under 5 mm
Primary microplastics- typically used to refer to microplastics originally manufactured to be that size. Primary
microplastics can include but are not limited to microbeads as they can also refer to industrial plastic powders andpellets.
Secondary microplastics – Small particle pieces that have resulted from the fragmentation and weathering oflarger plastic items.
Adapted from IM0/ FAO/ UNESCO-IOC/ UNIDO/ WMO/ IAEA/UN/ UNEP. UNDPP Joint Group of Experts on the
Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP) 2015.

United Nations Environment Programme | 5

INTRODUCTION
Marine plastic litter is gaining heightened global attention
as an environmental problem. Each year, more than 8
million tons of plastic ends up in the oceans, wreaking
havoc on marine wildlife, fisheries and tourism, and costingat least $8 billion in damage to marine ecosystems3. World
production of plastic materials in 2016 was 280 million
tonnes, of which about one third is single-use plastics4.

On land, improperly discarded
plastics clog drains andwaterways, causing floods during
rains and creating habitats fordisease-carrying vectors such as
mosquitoes.5
Scientists are also beginning tofind evidence of the harm causedby plastics debris that havebroken down into tiny particles,or microplastics, to marine life
as they enter the human foodchain6. Scientists have foundmicroplastics in the soil, fish, infreshwater, tap water and even in
the air we breathe7. The problem isincreasingly visible and difficult toignore.
Plastic bags, disposable single use
plastic items, and microbeads are
three important sources of plastic
pollution. Plastic bags have been
described as the world’s number
one consumer item8. Plastic
packaging is mostly single-use,
especially in business-to-consumer
applications, and a majority of
it is discarded the same year
it is produced. In 2015, plastic
packaging waste accounted for

47% of the plastic waste generated
globally, with half of that appearing
to come from Asia. While China
remains the largest worldwide
generator of plastic packaging
waste, the United States of America
is the largest generator of plastic
packaging waste on a per-capita
basis, followed by Japan andthe European Union.9 Single-use
plastics is an umbrella term fordifferent types of products thatare typically used once before
being thrown away or recycled.
These include, among other items,
grocery bags, food packaging,bottles, straws, containers, cups
and cutlery. Since the 1950s, growthin the production of plastic haslargely outpaced that of any othermaterial, with a global shift fromthe production of durable plastics
to single-use plastics (including
packaging). The production ofplastic is largely reliant on fossilhydrocarbons, which are nonrenewable resources. If the growthin plastic production continues
at the current rate, by 2050 theplastic industry may accountfor 20% of the world’s total oil

consumption. More than one-fourthof the resins globally used in the
production of single-use plastics
are manufactured in Northeast
Asia (China, Hong Kong, Japan,
Republic of Korea and Taiwan). Thisis followed by North America, theMiddle East and Europe.10
Microbeads are synthetic plastic
particles intentionally added toconsumer and industrial products
usually for their abrasive or
exfoliating properties and canvary in chemical composition,size, shape, and density. They may
also be used in other consumer
products, including householdcleaning products, printer toners,
medical applications and inindustrial processes such as
abrasive media for blasting, oil andgas exploration, textile printing, andautomotive molding.11Microbeads
are typically non-biodegradable anddiscarded down the drain into thesludge and waterways where they
can further contaminate aquatic
habitats and food chains12. One
study has found that approximately
8 trillion microbeads per day are
released into the waterways in
the United States of America
alone13. These, as well as othermicroplastics, adsorb pollutants
and are many times ingested byaquatic organisms14.
Political leaders are taking noticeof the marine plastic litter andmicroplastics15 problem. The United
Nations Environment Assembly
has adopted three resolutions on
marine litter and microplastics. The
resolutions stressed the importanceof: (i) long-term elimination ofdischarge of litter and microplastics

6 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

to the oceans, (ii) the developmentof regional and national marine
litter action plans, and (iii) greatercollaboration and coordination with/through the Global Partnership on
Marine Litter. The second sessionof United Nations Environment
Assembly also commissioned thedevelopment of an assessmentof the effectiveness of relevantinternational, regional and subregional governance strategies
and approaches to combat marine
plastic litter and microplastics. The
options presented in this report areunder discussion by countries andstakeholders and will be further
considered by the fourth sessionof the United Nations Environment
Environment Assembly which willtake place in March 2019.
An international coalition was
created at the initiative of France
to coordinate action to promote
the elimination of single-use
plastic bags and exchange
expertise and best practices, suchas existing regulations aiming

at reducing single-use plasticbags consumption and marketing
restrictions of products leading tomarine litter. As of July 2018, elevencountries joined the coalition.16
In 2017, the United Nations
launched the #CleanSeas
campaign, which in a little over a
year has garnered commitmentsfrom over 50 countries representing
over 60% of the world’s coastline,
including high profile commitmentsfrom India to eliminate singleuse plastics by 202217.In its G7
presidency, Canada has mademarine pollution a central issue
and along with the governments ofFrance, Germany, Italy, the United
Kingdom, and the European Union
launched an Ocean Plastics Charterwith timebound targets to reduce
plastic pollution and support
sustainable consumption.18

bags, single-use plastics andmicroplastics pollution throughnational laws. It provides asnapshot of the types of regulation
currently existing for each stageof the plastic lifespan, frommanufacture or production, to use,
and finally disposal. It is intended
for use as a reference for countries
and other interested stakeholders
seeking to understand theapproaches currently being used toaddress plastic pollution.

This report provides a global
overview of national regulatory
frameworks adopted by 192
countries to control plastic

United Nations Environment Programme | 7

METHODOLOGY
The research was conducted by lawyers and legal
researchers from research institutions and nongovernment organizations (NGOs). A total of 192
countries were reviewed. The research was conducted
over a period of six (6) months, from March to August
2018.
The review of national legislation
was based on a set of indicators
intended to obtain the following
information (see the report annex
for a list of indicators):
•

•

•

•

Market entry regulation throughmanufacturing or productionbans, the types of bans andother production restrictions,taxation and fiscal incentives
to producers, and exemptions
from bans;
Retail distribution regulation
through the imposition offees or levies to consumers
and end-users, restrictions or
disincentives on use, mandatory
alternative reusable products,
taxation and fiscal incentives toretailers;
Regulation of post-use ordisposal through mandates for
product waste collection andrecycling, extended producer
responsibility, take back ordeposit-refund requirements,
waste disposal charges andfines for improper disposal;
Trade regulation through importbans or restrictions, types ofbans or restrictions, and exportbans or restrictions; and•Additionally, regarding
microbeads, how it is defined,
whether new legislation is being
proposed, and government
standards and voluntarymeasures to phase-out the useof microbeads.

The research necessitated thereview of a range of legislation,
including those that are productspecific—plastic bags law,
microbeads law, disposable plastics
and expanded polystyrene laws, etc.
It also includes a review of sector
laws including packaging laws,
environmental codes, solid waste
management laws, investment
laws, and tax legislation. The
review covered both the principal
laws, such as environmental codes
and waste law, and implementing
regulations and decrees, such as
bottle deposit regulations.
As much as possible researchers
were contracted from the country or
region for which they did research.
In cases where this was notpossible, researchers were chosenon the basis of experience in using
online international legal databases(such as ECOLEX)19and government
websites and in tracking relevant
legislation through the literature andmedia reports. Researchers wererequired to conduct due diligenceby reaching out to reliable experts
in country, such as focal persons
from relevant government agencies
or civil society organizations
to confirm the data collected
or verify the non-existence oflegislation. It should be notedthat there were cases where no
response was obtained from thein-country experts. The work of theresearchers was thereafter reviewed
and the information checked bothfor consistency and gaps as wellas legal interpretation. The data
was then compiled and analyzed
across regions and types ofregulation to assess the prevalenceof different legal measures—bans, market-based instruments,
disposal regulations—and progress
towards regulating plastics at the
global and regional scales. While
all attempts were made to ensurecomprehensiveness, consistency,
and accuracy in the research
process, several limitations andcaveats are noted below:•

This report is not intended
to indicate that any specificregulatory measure (e.g. ban orlevy) or regulation of a specificaspect of the plastic productlifecycle (e.g. production or
disposal) is the most effective
approach to addressing theplastic problem.

•

This report examines nationalor federal level legislation; subnational (city, municipality, or
state) legislation are beyond
the scope of the analysis.
The research reveals thatmany countries have subnational legislation, either
as the prevailing approachor combined with national

8 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

legislation. Examples areprovided for each type ofplastic. Similarly, many
countries have made policy
pronouncement or incorporated
measures related to plastic instrategic plans or documents.
Where these are not in the formof legislation they are excluded
from analysis.
•

This report is current up to July
2018. The research shows thatin several countries there areproposed or pending legislation
respecting one or more of
the three types of plastics
covered in this research. Not
having been formally enacted,
proposed or announced
regulation are excluded fromthe analysis, but examples areprovided for each plastic type.

•

In some countries, thelegislation provides a transition
period for coming into force ora phase out period for existing
plastic products in the market.
Where the researchers wereable to ascertain the date ofentry into force it is included in
the report.

•

In few cases, public-private
partnerships or agreements (forexample, product end-of-life),
where they are legally-binding,
are treated as legislation for
purposes of this report.

•

This report does not examine
the implementation or
enforcement of laws andregulations in the countries
assessed.

•“No law found” does notnecessarily mean that nonational legislation on

plastics exists in the country.
Researchers made a goodfaith effort to locate laws
and regulations using online
databases, government
websites, and contacting
government officials, but insome cases could not confirm
the existence of the law.
•

The set of indicators developed
for the legal analysis is basedon an initial review of existinglegislation and publishedreports relating to plastics andmarine litter. The indicators did
not undergo external review
by thematic experts. Similarly,
the research findings for eachcountry did not undergo peerreview by in-country experts.

•

The indicators were designed
as yes or no questions inorder to facilitate analysis. To
capture additional information,
the researchers were required
to submit a summary of thefindings in narrative form.
However, in some cases(particularly where there are
no plastic-specific legislation),some of the legal nuances may
have been missed.

•

For non-English language laws,
the researchers used official
English translations as much as
possible. In cases where official
English translation were notfound, non-official translationsand Google Translate were used
for the analysis.

United Nations Environment Programme | 9

(e.g. polystyrene) or productionlevels.

KEY FINDINGSThe report findings are based on an evaluation of national•

Key Single Use Plastics
Findings #2: None of thesebans are “total”. In other words,
exceptions exist for certain
products or materials, such as
for so-called biodegradable
plastics.

•

Key Single Use Plastics
Findings #3: Small Island States
have been disproportionately
more likely to enact bans on
single-use plastics—37% (10countries) of national bans havecome from these countries.

•

Key Single Use Plastics
Findings #4: Twenty-nine(29) countries have enacted
some type of tax on single-use
plastics, either as a special
environmental tax, waste
disposal fees or charges, or in
the form of higher excise taxes
for single-use plastics.

•

Key Single Use Plastics
Findings #5: Sixty-three(63) countries haveenacted Extended Producer
Responsibility (EPR) measures,such as product-take backschemes, deposit-refund, andwaste collection and takeback
guarantees•

Key Single Use Plastics
Findings #6: The most common
legal measures for single
use plastics are recycling
requirements and solid waste
management laws which may
implicitly include single-use
plastics under household orcommercial waste or explicitly
set targets for plastics

laws and regulations.20 Based on our legal analysis, thefollowing key findings for plastic bags, other single use
plastic items, and microbeads were developed and are
discussed throughout the report.

Plastic Bags•••

Key Plastic Bag Finding #1:
As of July 2018, one hundred
and twenty-seven (127) out of
192 countries reviewed (about66%) have adopted someform of legislation to regulate
plastic bags. The first regulatory
measures specifically targeting
plastic bags were enacted
in the early 2000s, gradually
increasing throughout the
decade, with many countries
enacting restrictions in the past
few years.
Key Plastic Bag Finding#2: Among the countries
that regulate plastic bags,
interventions to reduce the
manufacture, distribution,
use and trade of plastics
bags vary considerably intheir comprehensiveness.
But the most common formof regulation is the ban on
free retail distribution, whicheighty-three (83) countries
have adopted. Manufacturing
and import bans follow, withsixty-one (61) countries having
adopted this form of regulation.
Key Plastic Bag Finding #3:
Manufacturing and importregulations include governing
the thickness and material
content of allowable plastic
bags.
•

Key Plastic Bag Finding # 4:
To date only twenty- seven(27) countries have instituted
taxes on the manufacture andproduction of plastic bags while
thirty (30) charge consumers
fees for plastic bags at thenational level.

•

Key Plastic Bag Finding #5:
Forty-three (43) countries haveincluded elements of extended
producer responsibility
related to plastic bags within
legislation.

•

Key Plastic Bag Finding#6: Fifty-one (51) countries
have adopted legislativerequirements to implement
recycling targets relevant forplastic bags.

Single Use Plastics•

Key Single Use Plastics
Findings #1: Twenty-seven (27)countries have enacted throughlaw some type of ban on singleuse plastics—either on specificproducts (e.g. plates, cups,
straws, packaging), materials

10 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Microbeads•

Key Microbead Finding #1: As
of July 2018, eight (8) out of
192 countries worldwide (4%)
have established legally bindingbans of microbeads throughnational laws or regulations.
These countries are Canada,
France, Italy, Republic of Korea,
New Zealand, Sweden, theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland, and theUnited States of America.

•

Key Microbead Finding #2:
Seven (7) out of eight ofthe countries with laws or
regulations controlling theuse and/or manufacture of
microbeads include only
a subset of personal careproducts documented tocontain microbeads. New
Zealand’s microbead law
however not only includes
personal care wash-off
products, it also regulates
abrasive household, car andindustrial cleaning products.

•

Key Microbead Finding #3:
The laws and regulations used
to control microbeads sharea number of similarities indefinition of microbead, producttypes covered, and the size of
microbead controlled; However,there are also importantdifferences. Three countries
ban the selling of productswith microbeads, while three(3) ban both the manufactureand selling of products. Two
countries prohibit the importing,manufacturing, and sellingof personal care products
containing microbeads. There
are also exemptions included insome but not all of the laws or
regulations.
•

Key Microbead Finding #4: As
at July 2018, four (4) countries- Belgium, Brazil, India, andIreland - have proposed newlaws or regulations banningmicrobeads at the national
level. The European Union has
also started the process torestrict the intentional additionof microplastics to consumer
and professional use products.

•

Key Microbead Finding#5: In addition to nationalbinding laws and regulations,
government, companies, andcivil society organizations are
utilizing a range of voluntary
approaches to reduce thenumber of products containing
microbeads. These include
government and industry
agreements, industry andcompany specific voluntary
phaseouts, regional government
statements of support, andecolabeling.

United Nations Environment Programme | 11

AN OVERVIEW OF REGULATORYAPPROACHES CONTROLLING PLASTIC
BAGSThis section provides a global overview of countries that have established some form ofnational legislation to regulate plastic bags.

Plastic Bag Finding#1: To date, 127 outof 192 countries
reviewed (66%) haveadopted legislation to
manage plastic bags.
The first regulatory
measures specificallytargeting plastic bags
were enacted in theearly 2000s, gradually
increasing throughout
the decade, withmany countries
enacting restrictionsin the past few years.

To date, one hundred twentyseven (127) countries worldwide
have enacted some form ofnational legislation21 to address
the problem of plastic bags. This
number represents about sixty-six
percent (66%) out of one hundredand ninety-two (192) countries
examined, indicating that the world
has achieved progress towards
addressing this global challenge.
Notably, in some countries without
national legislation, sub-national
governments (states, cities, andmunicipalities) have stepped up to
the plate and enacted state and/or local-level legislation that haveeffectively reduced plastic bag use.
Some examples of sub-national
legislation are provided below,
but a comprehensive review ofsuch state and city level initiatives
are excluded for purposes of thisreport. On the other hand, it is also
worth noting that some states in

the U.S. have adopted preemptive
legislation preventing states fromenacting plastic bag bans22.
In terms of regional trends, Europe
leads the way with 44 countries
having enacted some form oflegislation to regulate plastic
bags, including all but one of theEuropean Union (EU) member
states (except Belgium, which hasa regional approach), transposing
into domestic law the EU Directives
on the management of packaging
waste (Directive 94/62/EC on
Packaging and Packaging Waste
and Directive 2015/720 as regards
the consumption of lightweight
carrier bags). African nations also
have initiated progressive reforms
with 37 countries regulating plastic
bags, whereas 27 countries in the
Asia Pacific region have plastic bag
legislation of some form. Fourteen(14) countries in Latin America andFigure 1| Countries with National Legislation on Plastic Bags

Yes

127

No

n = 192

12 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

65

the Caribbean and five (5) countries
in West Asia also regulate plasticbags. In North America, the trend
in the U.S. and Canada is towards
regulating plastic bags through subnational legislation and public andprivate sector collaboration, withstates and cities as well as major
retailers at the forefront of reducing
plastic bag usage and waste. Figure
1 shows the number of countries
worldwide with national-level

Key Plastic Bag
Finding #2: Amongthe countries that
regulate plastic
bags, interventions
to reduce the§§manufacture,
distribution, use, andtrade of plastics bags
vary considerably
globally in theircomprehensiveness.
But the most common
form of regulationis the ban on freeretail distribution,
which eighty-three(83) countries
have adopted.
Manufacturing andimport bans follow,
with sixty-one (61)countries having
adopted this form of
regulation.

legislation on plastic bags andthose without.
Legislation to deal with the problemof plastic bags cover some or all
stages of the plastic bag life cycle,
from its production and introduction
to the domestic market to postconsumer use and disposal. The
regulatory approaches range frombans or restrictions on supply
and distribution, taxation, levies
on consumers or end-users, andextended producer responsibility.
The prevailing approach is the
restriction of retail distribution,either as a stand-alone approachor as part of a broader strategy
to curb plastic bag pollution. The
various regulatory approaches are
discussed below.

Regulatory Approaches
This section surveys the regulatory
approaches to address the problemof plastic bag pollution. The twomain mechanisms employed bynational governments are bansor restrictions on supply anddistribution and market-based
instruments such as taxes or levies.

Bans or Restrictions
Of the 127 countries with someform of plastic bag legislation,ninety-one (91) countries,
representing about 72 percent(72%), have some type of ban or
restriction on the manufacture
or production, importation, andretail distribution of plastic bags.
The region with the greatest
number of countries adopting
this approach is Africa, withthirty-four (34) countries, closely
followed by Europe with twentynine (29) countries. The Asia andPacific region have seventeen (17)countries regulating domestic
market entry, while Latin America
and the Caribbean has six (6)countries and West Asia has five (5)countries.
Eighty-four (84) countries restrict
the retail distribution of plastic
bags, mostly in tandem withrestrictions on manufacture or
production and importation. Of
the 91 countries regulating market
entry of plastic bags, fifty-five (55)countries regulate all three aspectsof market entry: manufacture or
production, importation, and retail
distribution, while ten (10) countries
restrict importation and retail
distribution. Nineteen (19) countries
ban free retail distribution alone. On
the other hand, seven (7) countries
target only the manufacture andimportation of plastic bags, ofwhich three countries, Lichtenstein,
Austria, and Lebanon restrict
manufacture or production, three(3) other countries, Algeria, Japan,
and Portugal restrict importation,and the Republic of Congo limiting
both manufacture and importation.
Some countries, such as Finland,
while not having enacted legislation,
has voluntary agreement between
the Ministry of Trade and theFederation of Finnish Commerce
to reduce the use of plastic carrierbags. Table 1 disaggregatescountries according to the different
types of bans or restrictions.
Countries that impose levies or feesto customers for plastic bags areindicated by an asterisk (*). Map 1
follows, providing a visual overview
of the distribution of market entry
restrictions across the world’s
regions.

United Nations Environment Programme | 13

Table 1: Plastic Bag Bans or Restrictions
Type of Restriction Countries
AfricaAsia & Pacific

EuropeLAC

West Asia

Manufacture, Retail
Distribution &Importation

Benin

Bangladesh

Albania

Haiti

JordanBotswana

CambodiaFranceSaudi Arabia(*levy collected on
Retail Distribution)

Burkina Faso

China*

Italy*

United Arab

Cabo Verde

Nepal*MonacoEmirates

CameroonMarshallNetherlands*

Yemen

Côte d’Ivoire
Democratic

Islands

Romania

Mongolia

San Marino

Pakistan

The former

Papua New

Yugoslav

Guinea*Republic of

Samoa

Macedonia*

Republic of Congo
Eritrea
Ethiopia
GambiaGuinea Bissau
Kenya
Madagascar

Sri Lanka

Turkey*VanuatuUzbekistan*

MalawiMali
Mauritania
Mauritius
MoroccoMozambique
Niger
RwandaSenegal*
Seychelles
South Africa*
United Republic of
Tanzania
Togo
Tunisia
UgandaZimbabwe

14 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Retail Distribution

Fiji*

Bosnia &Chile(*with Levy)

Republic of Korea*

Herzegovina

Colombia*

Croatia*
Cyprus*PanamaCzech
Republic*
Estonia*
Ireland*Israel*Lithuania
Luxembourg*
Poland*Republic ofMoldova*
Slovakia*
Slovenia*
Spain*
Manufacture &Importation

Republic of Congo

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Manufacture

N/A

N/A

Lichtenstein

N/A

LebanonAustria
Importation

Algeria

Retail Distribution & Chad
Importation
Djibouti(* with Levy on
Gabon
retail distribution)Japan

Portugal

N/A

N/A

AfghanistanAndorra*Antigua &N/A

BhutanGreece*BarbudaPalau

Paraguay*

United Nations Environment Programme | 15

Map 1 | Global Overview of Countries with Bans on the Manufacture, Free Distribution, andImportation of Plastic Bags

Plastic Bags
No Data
No BanBan on Manufacture
Ban on Manufacture and Free Distribution
Ban on Manufacture, Free Distribution and Import
Ban on Free Distribution and Import
Ban on Free Distribution
Ban on Import
Ban on Manufacture and ImportFigure 2 | Types of National Restrictions or Bans

Ban on Manufucture, Importand Retail Distribution
Ban on Retail Distribution

10

7

19

Ban on Retail Distribution Import
Ban on Manufucture or Import or
Retail Both55

n = 191

Only a few countries impose total
restrictions or bans, defined in thisreport as a ban on the introduction
to the market of any type of plastic
bag and/or without any exception
for any type of use. The MarshallIslands’ expansive regulatory
language calls for a total ban on
local manufacture, import andretail distribution. Afghanistan,
Bhutan, and Côte d’ Ivoire imposed
total bans on import and retail
distribution, which may still amountto a partial ban if there is local

production. Majority of countries
have opted for partial bans or
restrictions, mostly in the form of
thickness requirements, material
composition requirements, or
production volume limits. Eightynine (89) countries have enacted
one or more of these various formsof partial bans. Figure 3 shows
the distribution of countries basedon the different forms of partial
ban. Map 2 shows the regional
disaggregation of countries withpartial bans.

16 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Map 2 | Total and Partial Bans on the Manufacture, Free Distribution, and Importation of Plastic
Bags

Plastic Bags
Total Bans
No Data
No total or partial ban
Partial Ban on Manufacture or Import or Both
Partial Ban on Free Retail Distribution
Partial Ban on Free Retail Distribution and Import
Partial Ban on Manufacture, Free Retail Distribution, and ImportFigure 3 | Number of Countries with Partial Bans

16

1

Production Volume Limits
Thicknes Requirements
Material Content Requirements
Other

38
n = 96

Thickness Requirement

Key Plastic Bag
Finding #3:
Manufacturing andimport regulations
include governing
the thickness andmaterial compositionof allowable plastic
bags

41
Thirty-eight (38) countries
regulate the thickness of plasticbags. Of this number, twelve (12)countries ban or impose a levy
on plastic bags with a thicknessof 50 microns or less, while 10countries ban or impose a levy onplastic bags with a thickness of
30 microns or less, both classified
as lightweight or thin plastic bags.
Some countries, such as Senegal,prohibit plastic bags that are lessthan 30 microns, at the same time
mandating a levy on consumers
or end-users for plastic bags thatover 30 microns thick. Cambodia
does not have an outright ban but
rather requires a permit from theministry of environment for the
manufacture or import of plasticbags with thickness of 30 microns,with exemption given for the
non-commercial importation ofless than 100 kilograms. Pakistan
combines a thickness thresholdof 50 microns with a requirementof oxo-biodegradability. Similarly,
Italy requires very lightweightplastic bags of 15 microns orless to be certified biodegradable
and compostable. A number ofcountries, such as the Republicof Moldova and Uzbekistan, haveadopted a progressive phase-out ofplastic bags. There is considerable
variation in the thickness thresholdrequirements of other countries.
Table 2 shows the countries
with the range of thickness
regulations for plastic bags. Table
3 summarizes the text of the
thickness thresholds disaggregatedby region.
United Nations Environment Programme | 17

Table 2: Countries with Thickness Thresholds for Plastic Bags
15 microns

20-25 microns

30 microns

35-40 microns

50 microns

60 microns

100 microns& aboveUzbekistan

Bangladesh

Albania

Tunisia (40m)FranceCameroon

Eritrea (100m)

Republic ofMoldova*

Botswana

Cambodia

Vanuatu (35m)

India

Yemen

Jordan (200m)

China

Ethiopia

Italy

MalawiMozambique

Madagascar

Saudi Arabia(250m)

Nepal

Pakistan

SenegalRomania

UgandaMonacoZimbabwe

PolandVietnam

UK

United Republicof Tanzania

AndorraMongolia*Exempted fromSouth Africa
ban
Sri Lanka (20m)

Portugal
CyprusTable 3: Regional Distribution of Countries with Thickness Requirements for Plastic Bags
RegionCountry

Thickness Threshold

AfricaBotswana

Ban on plastic bags thinner than 24 microns

Cameroon

Ban on non- biodegradable plastic bags less than or equal to 60 microns

Eritrea

Ban on thin plastic bags less than 100 microns

Ethiopia

Ban on nonbiodegradable plastic bags with a wall thickness of 0.03 millimeters or less

Madagascar

Ban on plastic bags and bags of thickness less than or equal to 50 Microns

MalawiBan on plastic bags less than 60 microns

Mozambique

Ban on plastic bags less than 30 microns

SenegalBan on Plastic bags less than 30 microns. Plastic bags greater than or equal to 30
microns, may not be distributed or offered free of charge

South Africa

Ban on plastic bags with a thickness of 24 microns or less, but local manufacture forexport allowed

United Republic of
Tanzania

Ban on plastic bags below 30 microns

Tunisia

Ban on plastic bags with a thickness of less than 40 microns, or bags of low volumes
with a capacity of less than 30 liters

UgandaBan on plastic bags less than 30 microns

Zimbabwe

Ban on plastic bags less than 30 microns

Bangladesh

Ban on plastic bags 20 microns or lessCambodia

Ban on plastic bags except for plastic bags 0.03 mm or thicker and with a bottom
width of at least 25 cm or 10 inches, subject to permit from the ministry ofenvironment

China

Ban on plastic shopping bags less than 0.025 mm in thickness (ultrathin plastic bags)

India

Minimum of 50µm (microns), except for bags made of compostable plastic

Mongolia

Ban on all types of plastic bags 0.025 mm thick or lesser (full ban effective March 1,
2019)

Nepal

Ban on plastic bags less than 30 microns for small bags (7” X 14”) and 40 microns forbigger bags (20 Inches X 35 inches)

Pakistan

Minimum thickness of oxo-biodegradable plastic products of at least 50 microns

Asia & thePacific

18 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Europe

Sri Lanka

Ban on plastic bags 20 microns or less, unless with written approval from the Central
Environmental Authority

VanuatuBan on plastic bags less than 35 microns thickVietnamEnvironmental-friendly bags more than 50 microns are exempt from tax

Albania

Ban on plastic bags below 30μ (microns) (15 for each side)

AndorraBan on very lightweight bags less than 15 microns; levy charged to consumers forplastic bags 50 microns or greater

CyprusLightweight plastic bags with thickness of less than 50 microns shall be subject to alevy to be charged to consumers

FranceBan on lightweight bags under 50 microns, except compostable bags made of
bio-sourced materials. Minimum bio-sourced content of single-use plastic bags to
gradually increase from 30% on 1 January 2017 to 60% on 1 January 2025

Italy

Ban on non-biodegradable lightweight bags less than 50 microns

MonacoBan on plastic bags less than 50 microns thick, except for compostable bags or thosemade wholly or partly of bio-based materials

PolandBan on free distribution of plastic bags less than 50 microns, but bags less than 15
microns may be distributed for freePortugal

Tax on manufacturers and importers of plastic bags with thickness of equal or lessthan 50 microns

Republic of Moldova

Ban on free distribution of bags, except very thin bags less than 15 microns.
Progressive bag ban stating with bags 50 microns or more from 2019, less than 50
microns from 2020 and less than 15 microns from 2021

Romania

Ban on thin and very thin plastic bags with a handle is prohibitedThin - under 50 microns, ultrathin under 15 microns

West Asia

United Kingdom

Plastic bags not less than 50 microns but not greater than 70 microns are exempt
from the levy to consumers

Uzbekistan

Ban on plastic bags less than 15 microns thick and less than 5 liters capacity fromJanuary 1, 2019, and less than 50 microns in thickness and less than 10 liters incapacity starting January 1, 2020

JordanBan on plastic bags with thickness of 200 micrometers or less

Saudi Arabia

Disposable plastic products made of poly-propylene and polyethylene with film
thickness of less than or equal to 250 microns that are generally used for packaging,such as carrier bags, wraps and other similar applications, must be of the oxobiodegradable type and bear the prescribed logo

Yemen

Ban on manufacture of plastic bags below 60 microns and import of plastic bags
below 70 microns

Material Composition or Type
Forty-one (41) countries haveinstituted some form of regulationon the material composition ofplastics bags. Of these countries,
38 imposed bans or phase-outs
non-biodegradable plastic bags,
or incentivized the production,
import, or use of biodegradable
and/or compostable bags. Two (2)countries have required a certain
type of recycled material: Italy,
which also bans non-biodegradablebags, and Turkey. Italy requires

allowable plastic bags intended
to carry food products to have atleast 30 percent recycled plastics,
and other allowable plastic bags tohave 10 percent. Similarly, Austria
requires that plastic bags musthave a certain amount of weightof materials that can be recycled.
On the other end of the spectrum,
Andorra’s plastic bag ban covers
biodegradable and compostablebags. Table 4 disaggregates
the regional distribution ofcountries and the type of material
composition requirement.

United Nations Environment Programme | 19

Table 4: Regional Distribution and Type of Plastic Bag Material Composition Requirement
RegionCountry

Material Composition Requirement

AfricaBenin

Only biodegradable or compostable plastic bags can be distributed for free

Burkina Faso

Ban on production, import, marketing and distribution of non-biodegradable plastic
packaging and plastic bags

Cameroon

Manufacture, importation and commercialization of non-biodegradable plastic
packages less than or equal to 60microns is prohibited

Cape Verde

Conventional plastic bags, with the exception of biodegradable, cannot be distributed
free of charge in any commercial establishment; conventional plastic bags to be
replaced by biodegradable and compostable bags

Chad

Ban on importation of non-biodegradable plastic packaging

Côte d’ Ivoire

Ban on production, import, marketing, possession and use of plastic bags. Minister ofthe Environment may exceptionally authorize the use of biodegradable plastic bags

Djibouti

Ban on non-biodegradable plastic bags

DRC

Manufacture, import and marketing of non-biodegradable packaging is prohibited

Ethiopia

Ban on manufacture or importation of any nonbiodegradable plastic bags with a wall
thickness of 0.03 millimeters

Gabon

Ban on non-recyclable plastic bags

Mali

Ban on production, import, and sale of non-biodegradable plastic bags

Mauritius

Ban on plastic bags, except biodegradable plastic bags or compostable plastic bags
which conform to the appropriate standard

Niger

Ban on plastic bags, except plastic bags that are certified biodegradable inaccordance with the standards

Seychelles

Ban on manufacturing, importation, distribution of plastic bags except biodegradable
bags

Togo

Ban on production, import, distribution and marketing of non-biodegradable plasticbags and packaging

Tunisia

Ban on production, importation, marketing, possession and distribution, except
authorized biodegradable bags

Cambodia

Importation and production of bag or packaging material produced frombiodegradable or bioplastic substances shall have preferential tax rates

India

Thickness requirement (50 microns) shall not be applicable to carry bags made up ofcompostable plastic in conformity with the prescribed standard

Pakistan

Ban on plastic products which are non-degradable. Disposable plastic bags must be
made with oxo-biodegradable plastic technology from a registered supplier

Palau

Retail establishments shall not provide plastic bags except those that arebiodegradable or compostable to their customers

Papua New Guinea

Ban is on non-biodegradable plastic bags. Biodegradable bags are allowed, and theuse of bilum bags, made of organic woven material, is encouraged

Republic of Korea

Biodegradable plastic bags may be distributed for freeSamoa

Ban on all plastic bags except biodegradable bags

VanuatuBan on import of non-biodegradable plastic single-use bags; local manufacturers ofplastic bags to use only biodegradable plastics as of January 31, 2018.

VietnamEnvironmentally-friendly bags with bio-decomposition ability of at least 60% in aperiod of up to 2 years are exempt from the environmental protection tax

Asia and thePacific

20 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

EuropeAlbania

Production, marketing, and import of non –biodegradable plastic bags by all
economic operators are prohibited

AndorraBan on very lightweight and lightweight oxo-biodegradable, oxo-degradable,
biodegradable and compostable plastic bags; plastic bags 50 microns or greater musthave 80% minimum recycled content

Austria

Plastic bags need to be manufactured in a way, that a certain amount of weight ofmaterials, which can be recycled, are used.

FranceSingle-use non-compostable plastic bags under 50 microns are forbidden. Minimum
bio-sourced content of single-use plastic bags shall gradually increase from 30% from
1 January 2017 to 60% from
1 January 2025

GreecePlacing on the market and supplying the consumer oxo-degradable plastic carrierbags is prohibited. Incentives to be given to producers of biodegradable andcompostable plastic bags

Italy

Ban on non-biodegradable and non-compostable lightweight plastic carrier bags.
Exemption given to reusable bags thicker than 200 microns and made of at least
30% of recycled plastic intended to carry food products or thicker than 100 microns
and made of at least 10% of recycled plastics intended to carry good and products
different from food

Lichtenstein

Plastic bags can only be placed on the market, if they were manufactured in a way,that a certain amount of weight of materials, which can be recycled, is used

The former Yugoslav
Republic ofMacedonia

Ban on plastic bags except biodegradable bags made in accordance with theprescribed standards for biodegradability

MonacoBan on single-use plastic bags except for the compostable bags and made of, whollyor partly, of bio-based materials, from 30 % minimum from January 1, 2017 to 60%
minimum beginning January 1, 2025

San Marino

Marketing and distribution of plastic carrier bags that do not comply with theapplicable European biodegradability requirements set out by technical standards is
prohibited

TurkeyBan on production, import and putting in the market packaging products Including
plastic bags that cannot be recycled or recovered. Plastic bags and packaging mustalso contain a certain percentage of recycled material, from 4% in 2018 to 8% from2020 and beyond

Latin America
and theCaribbean

Colombia

Plastic bag must contain at least forty percent (40%) of post-consumer or postindustrial recycled material demonstrated according to technical standards

Paraguay

Gradual replacement of polyethylene bags with biodegradable bags

West Asia

Saudi Arabia

All the disposable products manufactured from polypropylene and polyethylene
plastics which are often used for a short time must be OXO degradable then biodegradable; in accordance with relevant standards

United Arab Emirates

Manufacturers and suppliers of plastics bags must meet prescribed standards for
oxo-degradable bags and distribute in the market only complying products

Yemen

Ban on the manufacture and use of non-biodegradable plastic bags

Production Volume or
Number Restrictions
Only one (1) country of thoseexamined for this report hasestablished production volume
restrictions, Cape Verde, which it
imposed on conventional plasticbags. It applied a percentage
reduction from 60% in 2015 to 100%on July 1, 2016, the date the banon all conventional plastic bags

came into force. Since then, only
biodegradable and compostable
plastic bags are allowed in the
country.
Regionally, European Union
Directive 94/62/EC stipulates thatpackaging must be manufactured insuch a way as to limit the packaging
volume and weight to the minimum
necessary to maintain the required
safety and hygiene of the packaged

product and its acceptance by the
consumer.” Most EU Member States
have transposed this provision into
domestic law but generally havenot created explicit and binding
numerical targets.

Promotion of the use by
consumer of Reusable Bags
Sixteen (16) countries have
explicitly promoted reusable plastic
United Nations Environment Programme | 21

bags of some kind. Of these, six(6) countries have mandate that
reusable bags be provided toconsumers or end-users, either
free of charge or for a fee: Andorra,
Greece, Italy, Palau, Panama,and Portugal. Four (4) countries
promote reusable bags by explicitly
exempting them from the ban onplastic bags: the Marshall Islands,
Paraguay, Turkey and Vanuatu,
while two (2) countries exempt

reusable bags from the plastic
bag tax: Colombia and the United
Kingdom. Four (4) countries require
retailers and/or consumers to
opt for reusable bags: Cambodia,
Cyprus, Kyrgyzstan and Nepal. Table
5 disaggregates types of reusable
bag regulations and the countries
that have enacted them. Figure 4
shows the regional disaggregationof reusable bag regulations.

Table 5: Countries with Mandates for Reusable Bags
CountryType of Reusable Bag Regulation

Andorra
GreeceItaly
Palau
PanamaPortugal

Provide to consumers or end-users free of charge for a fee

Cambodia
Nepal
Kyrgyzstan
CyprusObligation on retailers and/or consumers to opt for reusable
bags

Colombia

Exemption from tax

United Kingdom
Marshall Islands
Paraguay
TurkeyVanuatu

Exemption from the plastic bag ban

Figure 4 | Regional Disaggregation of Reusable Bag
Regulations
9
8

Exemptions from Plastic Bag
BanTwenty-five (25) countries expressly
provide for exemptions to their ban
on plastic bags. The exemptions
relate to certain activities andcertain products. Most countries
have multiple exemptions, the mostcommon of which include handlingand transport of perishable andfresh food items, carrying of small
retail items, use for scientific ormedical research, and garbage
or waste storage and disposal.
Four (4) countries exempt fromthe plastic bag ban manufacturing
for purposes of export. Cambodia
exempts from the ban theimportation of plastic bags for
non-commercial purposes in small
volumes of 100 kg. - or less. In
terms of regional distribution, Africa
has the most number countries
that have explicit exemptions
from the ban, with 14 out of the 25
countries. The other regions split
the remaining 11 countries with
explicit exemption, with four inEurope, four in Asia and the Pacific,
two in Latin America and the
Caribbean, and one in West Asia.
Table 6 lists the countries and typesof exemptions from the plastic bag
ban disaggregated by region.

7
6

8

5
4

5

3

3

2
1
0

EuropeAsia andthe Pacific

LAC

22 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Table 6: Types of Exemptions from Plastic Bag Bans
Region/Country

Types of Exemptions from Plastic Bag Ban
Primary
packaging- for fresh,
perishable
or other
loose
food;
pharmaceuticalproducts

Transportof smallretailgoods,
e.g.
hardwareitems

Use forscientificorclinicalresearchor other
medicaluses

Use forsanitation
or wastestorageanddisposal

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

Commercial
uses e.g.
protection ofbank notes;
laundry &dry-clean
bags

Plasticbags
forexportAgriculturaluses

National
securetyuses /
airportanddutyfreebags

Alternative
bags(wovenbags)

Smallvolume use
for noncommercial
purposes

AfricaBenin✔

Burkina
Faso
Côte d’Ivoire✔

Gambia

✔

Kenya

✔

Madagas-car ✔

✔
✔
✔

✔

✔

✔

Malawi✔

✔

Mauritius

✔

✔

✔

Niger

✔

✔

✔

Seychelles

✔

✔

✔

✔

South Africa

✔

✔

✔

✔

Togo

✔

Tunisia✔

✔

✔

Uganda✔

Asia & the PacificBangla-desh✔

Cambodia✔

Pakistan
Republic of
Korea

✔
✔

EuropeAndorra✔

Cyprus✔

The former
Yugoslav
Republic ofMacedo-nia

✔

✔

UK

✔

Latin America & the Caribbean
Antigua &Barbuda✔

Panama

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔ (waterstorage)West Asia
Saudi Arabia ✔

United Nations Environment Programme | 23

Tables 7 – 12 below include short summaries of the major features or approaches found in country-specificlegislation divided by region. Table 13 provides a list of countries that have proposed new legislation on plastic bags.

Table 7: Country Specific Narratives on plastic bags: Latin American and the Caribbean
Country Specific narratives: Latin America and the Caribbean
Country

Features of Plastic bag regulations

Antigua and Barbuda•

Prohibits the importation, distribution, sale and use of shopping plastic bags•

Fines provided for breach of rules e.g. $10,000 and imprisonment for 1 year for a first
offence.

•

Exceptions provided of specific types of plastic bags•

Plastic bags regulated at subnational/city level•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Bahamas•Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Barbados•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Belize•Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)Argentina

Bolivia (Plurinational State of) •Extended Producer Responsibility recognized in law including plastic bags

Brazil•Plastic Bags regulated primarily at subnational /city level•

Extended Producer Responsibility over specific types of packaging for listed products•

New Law on Plastic bags establishing a partial ban•

Applies only to large retail business. Small and medium-size businesses, including
neighborhood shops, will have two years to abide by the new rules.

•

Primary packaging or factory packaged products are excluded from the bill prohibition•

Rationale use of plastic bag program introduced for distributors.

•

Specifications included on recycled content, reuse, thickness and biodegradability•

Requirements for charging for plastic bags included•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)•

New legislation proposed to regulate non-biodegradable plastic bags

Cuba

•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Dominica•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Chile

Colombia

Costa Rica•

New proposed regulation announced

Dominican Republic•

Reuse and Recycling to be regulated by municipalities in consultation with national
government

Ecuador•Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

El Salvador•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Grenada•Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Guatemala•Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)•

Plastic bag regulated at subnational /city level

Guyana•Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Haiti

•

Ban on importing, manufacturing of black plastic polyethylene bags and polystyrene foam
containers

Honduras•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Jamaica•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)•

Environmental Levy administered on imported and locally manufactured goods

Mexico•Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Nicaragua•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

24 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Country Specific narratives: Latin America and the Caribbean
PanamaParaguayPeru•

The use of polyethylene bags to transport goods and products is prohibited in supermarkets,
self-service shops, retail and commercial establishments.

•

Law focuses on the promotion of reusable bags•

New requirements that polyethylene plastics bags must be replaced with biodegradable andreusable bags.

•

Law governs Extended Producer Responsibility•

Time periods given for implementation of the law and provision of manufacture of
replacement products.

•

Legal rules requiring Public Sector Entities, to buy and use biodegradable plastic bags•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/litter regulation)

Saint Kitts and Nevis•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Saint Lucia•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)•

Environmental Levy administered on imported and locally manufactured goods

Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Suriname•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Trinidad and Tobago•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Uruguay•

Law governs Extended Producer Responsibility

Venezuela, Bolivarian
Republic of•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Table 8: Country Specific Narratives Plastic Bags: Africa
Country specific narratives: Africa
Country•

Features of Plastic bag regulation

Algeria•

Import restrictions on plastic bags

Angola•Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Benin

•

Prohibition of the production, importation, exploitation, marketing, possession, distribution
and use of non-biodegradable plastic bags

Botswana•

The Manufacture and import of plastic bags thinner than 24 microns for use in Botswana isprohibited. Exceptions are included•

An Environmental levy is provided related to plastic bags•

Broad prohibition of the production, import, marketing and distribution of non-biodegradable
plastic packaging and plastic bags.

•

The production, importation, marketing or distribution of packaging and non-biodegradable
plastic bags intended directly for sanitary activities, scientific and experimental research or forthe purpose of security and national security, are subject to a special authorization

Burundi•Anti-pollution tax on plastic bags exists

Cape Verde•

Prohibition of production, importation, distribution into the market and use of conventional
plastic bags for packaging.

Cameroon•

Prohibits the manufacture, importation and commercialization of non-biodegradable plastic
packages less than or equal to 60microns.

Central African Republic•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Chad

•

Prohibiting the import of non-biodegradable plastic packaging throughout the national
territory

Comoros•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Democratic Republic of the
Congo

•

Prohibition of the production, import, marketing and use of plastic bags and bags for the saleof food, water and other beverages and as well as oxo-biodegradable bags, bags and plastic
films. Exceptions are provided

Burkina Faso

United Nations Environment Programme | 25

Country specific narratives: Africa
Côte D’Ivoire•

Prohibits the production, import, marketing, possession and use of plastic bags.

•

Exceptions are provided

Democratic Republic of the
Congo

•

The manufacture import and marketing of non-biodegradable packaging is prohibited.

Djibouti•

Importation and marketing of non-biodegradable and non-biodegradable plastic bags andpackaging products are strictly prohibited

Egypt

•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Equatorial Guinea•

No national solid waste management law found•Prohibition of producing, importing, sale or distribution of thin plastic bags. of high density or
low-density polyethylene products not exceeding 0.1 millimeter in thickness.

•

Fines for selling, manufacturing or carrying plastic bags up to $40,000 dollars•

Prohibited to grant permit for the manufacture or importation of any nonbiodegradable plasticbags with a wall thickness of 0.03 millimeters and less than 0.03 millimeters.

•

Fines range from $5000-$20000Birr•

Prohibition of the import and marketing of non-recyclable plastic bags•

Requirements for collection, sorting, storage, transport, recovery, reuse, recycling and disposalof all types of waste•

Prohibits the manufacture or import and sale of plastic bags•

Exceptions are provided•

No national solid waste management law found•Law on Hazardous and Electronic waste covers recycling of wastes that are hazardous to theenvironment

Guinea•No national solid waste management law found

Guinea- Bissau•

Prohibits the use, manufacture, import, marketing and distribution of plastic bags

Kenya

•

Prohibits the use, manufacture and importation of all plastic bags used for commercial andhousehold packaging•

Exceptions are provided

Lesotho•Environmental levy includes taxes on packaging and plastics

Liberia•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Libya

•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Madagascar•

Prohibiting the production, importation, marketing, stock-building and use of plastic bags

Malawi•

Prohibits the importation, manufacture, trade and commercial distribution of plastics,
plastic bags and plastic sheets made of plastic film with a wall thickness of less than sixty
micrometres•

Exemptions provided•

Prohibiting the production, import, and sale of non-biodegradable plastic bags•

Packaging and recycling provisions are included

Mauritania•

Prohibiting the production, import, and sale of plastic bags of specific densities

Mauritius•

Regulates the manufacture of biodegradable plastic bag or a compostable plastic bag•

Provides for an exemption for use of specific types of plastic bags in special circumstances
only.

•

Prohibition of the manufacture, import, export, marketing and use of plastic bags•

Exemptions provided•

Prohibition of the following, production, importation, retail sale of a plastic bag whose
thickness is less than at 30 microns, the free sale of plastic bags for commercial activities
and the marketing and distribution of plastic bag containing more than 40% recycled material
in establishments marketing products food.

Eretria
Ethiopia

Gabon

GambiaGhana

Mali

MoroccoMozambique

26 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Country specific narratives: Africa
Namibia•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)•

Drafting of regulations to create a levy on plastic bags has been announced to be issued thisyear•

Prohibiting the importation, production, marketing and storage of low-density plastic bags andflexible packaging.

•

Exemptions provided

Nigeria•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Rwanda•Prohibition of Manufacturing, Importation, Use and Sale of Polythene Bags

Sao Tome and Principe•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Senegal•Prohibition of the production, importation, use, possession for the sale and free sale or
distribution of plastic bags with a thickness of less than 30 microns

Seychelles•

Prohibition of the manufacturing, importation, distribution of plastic bags•

Exemptions provided

Sierra Leone•

No national solid waste management law foundSomalia•

No national solid waste management law foundSouth Africa•

Prohibition of the manufacture, trade and commercial distribution of domestically produced
and imported plastic carrier bags and plastic flat bags•

Fines are provided for breach of requirements and up to 10 years imprisonment

Niger

•

Charges to retailers for plastic bags

South Sudan•

No national solid waste management law found

Sudan

•

No national solid waste management law foundSwaziland•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Togo

•

Prohibition of the production, import, distribution and marketing of non-biodegradable plasticbags and packaging

Tunisia•

Draft law covering the prohibition of the production, importation, marketing, holding, for saleor distribution, and distribution free of charge of specific types of plastic bags

Uganda•Prohibition of the manufacture, import, sale, use, distribution or of plastic bags•

Exemptions are included•

Prohibition of the manufacture, import, sale, use, distribution or of plastic bags•

Exemptions are included•

Plastic Carrier Bag and Flat Bag Standard Regulations being proposed•

Prohibition of the production and distribution of plastic bags of thickness less than 30
microns•

Prohibition of the manufacture for use, commercial distribution or importation of plastic
packaging whether biodegradable or not, with a wall thickness of not less than 30
micrometers•

Duties of requirements for recycling polystyrene packaging material manufactured and sold.

United Republic of Tanzania
ZambiaZimbabwe

United Nations Environment Programme | 27

Table 9: Country Specific Narratives for Plastic bags: Europe
Country specific narratives: Europe
Country

Features of Plastic bag regulation

Albania•

The production import and placing on the market of plastic bags below 30μ (micro) (15 foreach side) is prohibited.

•

Prohibited to use and sell non-biodegradable plastic bags by all commercial units•

Prohibition of any commercial activity to distribute very light plastic bags with handles, lightplastic bags and oxo biodegradable or oxo degradable plastic bags or distribute biodegradable
or compostable bags."•

Prohibition of import of specified plastic bags

Armenia•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Austria•

Packaging legislation regulating content and types of use of plastic

Azerbaijan•

National legislation on domestic and household waste

Belarus•

No solid waste management legislation foundBelgium•

Regional rather than national legislation exists on plastic bags

Bosnia and Herzegovina•

Levy charged on plastic bags

Bulgaria•

Levy charged on plastic bags

Croatia•

Regulation on packaging waste•

Fee on distributor of plastic bags and charges on plastic bags•

Ban on the free distribution of plastic carrier bags applicable to lightweight plastic carrier bagswith a wall thickness of less than 50 μm•

Levy on the sale of plastic bags•

Charge on for the sale of plastic bags•

Packaging legislation requiring recycling•

Levy on the sale of plastic bags instituted•

Packaging legislation requiring recycling•

Lightweight and very lightweight plastic carrier bags shall not be supplied to consumers free ofcharge.

•Packaging legislation requiring recycling•

Excise duties on packaging•

Fines for failure to prevent the generation of waste•

Price for lightweight plastic carrier bags instituted•

Extended producer responsibility legislation•

The production, distribution, and sale and the use of packaging’s or bags made, in whole or inpart, from oxo-fragmentable plastic are forbidden•

Single-use compostable plastic bags are still allowed for free, but not at the checkout of a store

Georgia•

Extended producer responsibility legislation

Germany•

New Packaging law passed which comes into effect in 2019

Greece•Packaging law and requirements for recycling outlined in law•

Lightweight plastic bags are subject to an environmental fee•

Packaging law and recycling quota.

AndorraCyprusCzech Republic
Denmark
Estonia

FinlandFranceHungary•

Extended producer responsibility legislation

Iceland•

Recycling fee for plastic bags importers and manufacturers

Ireland•

Environmental levy provided on plastic bags

28 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Country specific narratives: Europe
Israel•Banned plastic bags under 20 μm thick; plastic bags between 20-50 μm will be available forpurchase•Tax on retailers•

Regulation of packaging law including recycling targets•

Ban on placing on the market of a) non-biodegradable and non-compostable lightweight plastic
carrier bags; b) non-reusable plastic carrier bags with handle; c) very lightweight plastic bags•

Certified biodegradable and compostable plastic carrier plastic bags are not banned.

•

Extended Producer Responsibility and obligation of collection and return of plastic packaging
and packaging waste- that includes plastic bags - on manufacturers and retailers

Kazakhstan•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Kyrgyzstan•

Requirement for the gradual replacement of plastic bags with reusable bags

Latvia•Tax on packaging based on thickness and weight

Liechtenstein•

Regulation on packaging and requirements for recycling

Lithuania•

Prohibition of the distribution of light plastic shopping bags at places of sale of goods or
products•

Extended Producer Responsibility requirements duties on manufacturer, consumer and retailer•

Annual consumption rate set for consumer should not exceed 90 light plastic bags per person•

Regulation of distribution of plastic bags of specific thickness•

Regulation on packaging and requirements for recycling•

Excise Duty on plastic bags•

Prohibited to make available, free or for a charge - checkout single-use plastic bags, except forthe compostable bags and those made of, wholly or partly, of bio-based materials•

The Production, distribution, selling, provision and use of bags made from oxo-fragmentable
plastics are forbidden.

•

Fees on the manufacture or import of specific types of packaging including plastics.

•

Extended liability of the manufacturer•

Ban prohibits the free provision of plastic bags in places where goods and products are offered
for sale.

•

Recycling targets included in legislation for producer or importer•Tax on manufacture of Carrier bags•

Producers that place on the market packaging shall fund the collection, sorting, recycling andother treatment of used packaging and packaging waste through membership of a producer
responsibility organisation.

•

Tax based on weight of plastic bags•

Prohibited free distribution of plastic bags thick less than 50 mkm (to 15 mkm)

Italy

Luxembourg
Malta
MonacoMontenegro
Netherlands

NorwayPoland•Distributor obliged to charge a recycling fee from a lightweight plastic shopping bag

Portugal•

Charge per plastic bag, contribution is charged on plastic bags made completely or partiallyfrom plastic material with handles, and with a thickness of equal or less than 50 microns

Republic of Moldova•

Levy on plastic bags•

Prohibition to distribute plastic bags free of charge, except for very thin plastic bags.

•

Requirements for recycling and reuse of waste•

The placing on the national market of thin and very thin plastic bags with a handle is prohibited•

Eco-tax issued•

Extended Producer responsibility•

Annual targets for recycled packaging•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Romania

Russian Federation

United Nations Environment Programme | 29

Country specific narratives: Europe
San Marino

SerbiaSlovakia
Slovenia

Spain

Sweden•Adopted Progressive reduction of the marketing and distribution of non-biodegradable carrier
bags•High administrative sanction for breach of requirements.

•

Manufacturers or importers of plastic bags, except for biodegradable bags required to pay fees•

Extended Producer responsibility•

All bags except light weight plastic bags can be provided free of charge•

Extended Producer responsibility•

Plastic bags should not be available free of charge to the consumers. The annual level of useof plastic bags is limited to maximum 40 plastic bags per person. Very light plastic bags (bagswith the thickness of the wall less than 15 microns that are intended primarily for packaging offood, which is not prepackaged) are not included in this limit.

•

Fines on distributors who offer plastic bags free of charge•

Environmental tax on generation of packaging waste•

Measures to reduce the consumption of plastic bags•

Delivery of light and very light plastic bags to the consumer at the points of sale of goods or
products is prohibited, except if they are made of compostable plastic•

Reduction, recycling and recovery targets•

Mandatory for suppliers of plastic carrier bags to inform customers about the negativeenvironmental effects of plastic bags and the benefits of reduced consumption of plastic bags,•

No national laws that explicitly mandate or promote the use of re-usable bags

Switzerland•

Only voluntary private agreements exist

Tajikistan•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

The former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia•

Prohibitions on use of plastics as packaging. Exemptions included•

Extended Producer responsibility

Turkey•Fines for failure to comply with requirements•

Forbidden to produce, put in the market and import packaging products that cannot berecycled or recovered.

•

Plastic bags - thicker than 15 microns - will be distributed only with fee starting 2019

Turkmenistan•

No law foundUkraine•Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

United Kingdom of GreatBritain and Northern Ireland•

Charge for all single use plastic carrier bags, some excluded bags indicated.

Uzbekistan•

Prohibition of manufacture of plastic bags less than 15 microns thick and less than 5 liters
capacity in 2019 and less than 50 microns in thickness and less than 10 liters in capacity•

Levy to be provided by retailer of amount per plastic bag

Table 10: Country Specific Narratives for plastic bags: Asia and PacificCountry specific narratives: Asia and PacificAfghanistan•

Ban the import and usage of plastic bags in all shops in the cities and provinces across thecountry

Australia•

Extended producer's responsibility at national level and used packaging regulations•

Regulation of plastic bags by States

Bangladesh•

Restrictions on manufacture, sale of all kinds or any kind of polythene shopping bag, or
any other article made of polyethylene or polypropylene, imposing absolute ban on the
manufacture, and sale

Bhutan•Restrictions on the import of plastic bags•

Extended producer responsibility for wastes

30 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Country specific narratives: Asia and Pacific
Brunei Darussalam•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/litter regulation)

Cambodia•

Handle plastic bags are prohibited from importation, production, distribution and use, except
for: A- the plastic bags are 0.03 mm or thicker; and B- the plastic bags have a bottom widthof at least 25 cm or10 inches. All importation and local production of plastic bags in A andB above shall have permit from the ministry of environment except for non-commercial
importation of less than 100 kg•

Customers will pay for plastic bags from supermarkets, commercial centers, and all businessand service locations•

Legislation requires encouragement of use of renewable materials and minimization of waste
generation•

Ban on the import of used plastic bags and single use plastic products•

No free plastic shopping bags shall be provided at any commodities retail places, and theprice of plastic shopping bags shall be clearly marked and charged separately from thecommodity price.

Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea•

No Law found

Fiji

•

Environment and Climate Adaptation Levy shall be charged on plastic bags distributed bybusinesses. Levy charged on plastic bags is $0.10c per plastic bag and payable by the person
to whom a plastic bag is provided.

India

•

Plastic waste management jurisdiction given to urban local bodies in their respective
jurisdiction for recycling•

Requirements to confirm to standards for plastic waste recycler and recycling of plastic IS
14534:•

Registration of producer, recyclers and manufacturer, -from the State Pollution Control Board•

Responsibility of waste generator to take steps to minimize generation of plastic waste andsegregate plastic waste at source in accordance with the Solid Waste Management Rules,
2000 or as amended from time to time.

•

Law speaks to creation of policy directives on waste reduction, handling and minimization
including the development of a road map on extended producer responsibility•

Manufacturers are obliged to recycle waste by•a. preparing a waste recycling program as part of its business and / or activity;•b. using recyclable production raw materials; and / or•c. reclaiming garbage from product and product packaging for recycling.

Iran (Islamic Republic of)•

No dataJapan•

Recycling plan instituted by law•

Extended producer responsibility for designated businesses who are required to reduce
waste containers and packaging discharged through rationalization of use of containers andpackaging by using recyclable containers and packaging and reducing the excess use ofcontainers

Kiribati•

Issuance of a levy and fund on waste

Lao People’s Democratic
Republic•

General requirements to separate waste for different purposes such as recycle, reuse,
reprocess as new products and elimination with methods and techniques within identified
areas base

Malaysia•

Investment tax allowance for use of biodegradable materials

Maldives•

Standards set for importers and local producers of biodegradable bags.

Marshall Islands•

Unlawful for a person to import, manufacture, sell or distribute plastic shopping bags.

Micronesia (Federated
States of)•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/litter regulation)

Mongolia•

Use of all types of plastic bags which are less than 0.025 mm thick or lesser for package use
shall be prohibited in any trade and services

Myanmar•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/litter regulation)

China

Indonesia

United Nations Environment Programme | 31Country specific narratives: Asia and Pacific
Nauru

•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/litter regulation)

Nepal

•

No persons can import, produce, store, sale and distribute plastic bags of thickness less than30 Micron•

Retailers and Individual users to reduce the un necessary uses and reuse the plastic bag tothe extent possible.

•

Retailers need to collect and return all plastic bag to importers•

Fines for breach of rules•

Waste Minimization Fund (WMF) provides funding for projects that improve waste
management and minimization•

Extended Producer Responsibility.

Pakistan•

Prohibits not only the manufacture of conventional disposable plastic products in Pakistan,
but also prevents them being imported into Pakistan. This means that all companies
anywhere in the world exporting disposable plastic products to Pakistan made from or
packaged in conventional or bio-based PE, or PP, or in PS must make and/or package them infuture with oxo-biodegradable plastic technology from a supplier registered with the Pakistan
Government.

Palau

•

Retail establishments shall not provide plastic bags except those that are bio-degradable
or compostable to their customers at point of sale or prior to their exit for the purpose oftransporting good. Comes into operation 2019•

Retail establishments that sell reusable bags to customers shall price re-useable bags at no
greater than 25% above the at cost value•

By 2018 no individual or business may import plastic product prohibited for distribution.

Papua New Guinea•

Ban on non-biodegradable plastic bags. Biodegradable bags are allowed, and the use of bilum
bags, made of organic woven material, is encouraged

Philippines•

Rules on waste minimization at source and separation•

No specific rules on plastic bags•

Prohibition of distribution of packaging for free•

Requirements to put in place a recycling plan for specified products

Samoa

•

General obligations to regulate wastes. No specific bans

Singapore•

Mandatory requirement to submit waste report and waste reduction plan

Solomon Islands•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/litter regulation)

Sri Lanka•

Prohibit the manufacture of polythene or any polythene product of 20 microns or below inthickness for in country use . Polythene or any polythene product of 20 microns or below
in thickness can be permitted to be used with the prior written approval of the Central
Environmental Authority for (a) the use of specified material for laminating and (b) the use for
medical and pharmaceutical purposes in the absence of other suitable alternatives.

Thailand•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/ litter regulation)

Timor-Leste•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/litter regulation)

Tonga

•

Levy on plastic bags on importation. Exemptions provided•

Waste Management requirements

Tuvalu•Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/litter regulation)

Vanuatu•

Prohibit the import of non-biodegradable plastic single-use bags•

Obligation for local manufacturers of plastic bags to use only biodegradable plastics as ofJanuary 31, 2018.

•

Prohibition of the Manufacture, sell, give or otherwise provide single use bags other thanto contain, wrap or carry meat or fish, single use of plastic bags are shopping bags that are
made out of polyethylene less than 35 microns thick,•Environmental protection tax issues against use of plastic bags•

Requirements for reduction and waste minimization

New ZealandRepublic of Korea

Viet Nam

32 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Table 11: Country specific narratives Plastic Bags: Western Asia•

Country specific narratives – Western Asia

Bahrain•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/litter regulation)

Iraq

•

No law foundJordon•Prohibition of the importation, export and commercialization of non-biodegradable plastic bags

Kuwait•No law found

Lebanon•Prohibition, Local Production, Importation, Marketing and Use of Plastic Packaging Bags

Oman

•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/litter regulation)

Qatar

•

Only regulates disposal at national level (solid waste/litter regulation)

Saudi Arabia•

Technical Regulation for the Biodegradable Plastic Products issued on import of products

Syrian Arab Republic•

No law foundUnited Arab Emirates•

Standard & Specification for Oxo-biodegradation of Plastic bags and other disposable Plastic

Yemen

•

Prohibits the manufacture, import and use of non-biodegradable plastic bags

Table 12: Country specific narratives plastic bags: Canada and USA
Country specific narrative Canada and USA
Canada•Plastics not regulated at federal level – only implicit authority to regulate use, manufacture, andimportation of plastic bags

USA

•
•

Plastics not regulated at federal level except in relation to reduction of solid waste generation.
Regulation at State level including some states that have prohibitions against plastic bag bans

Table 13: Countries which have proposed new legislation on plastic bags as of July 2018
Countries which have proposed new legislation on plastic bags
Several countries have proposed new specific legislation, this year to begin to control plastic bags. Some important country
examples come from the Pacific, Latin American and the Caribbean, Asia and Africa.
Caribbean•

The Government of Jamaica (proposed for January 2019), St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, Bahamas(proposed 2020) and Belize (Proposed April 2019) have indicated their intention to take steps in the banning of single use
plastic bag in the retail trade. No announcements on exemptions have yet to be released.

Pacific•

The Governments of the Solomon Islands, Papau New Guinea (proposed before end of 2018) , Samoa( Proposed January2019) have all announced plans to ban single use plastics in their territories.

Latin America••

The Government of Costa Rica has announced a plastic bag ban by 2021 to eliminate single use plastic and plastic bags.
The Government of Argentina has announced two bills (2018) which would promote reuse, recycling, and recovery,
consumer awareness on associated environmental risks, and the use of environmentally sensitive materials techniques, andtechnologies in relation to all plastic bags used to hold or transport products supplied at any point of Sale or delivery. The
Second would prohibit the use of bags made from polyethylene and other conventional plastic materials in supermarkets, andretail shops. The plastic bag ban would be implemented gradually and progressively over time through the replacement ofplastic bags with biodegradable equivalents.
Africa•The Government of Zambia has developed draft regulations regulating the manufacture, import, trade or commerciallydistribution of packaging materials in Zambia including requirements for provision of alternative shopping bags to customers.

Asia
•
•

The Thailand Government has announced a plan to study the creation of a plastic bag levy.
On 5 June 2018 the Government of India used World Environment Day to announce that India will, by 2022, “eliminate all
single use plastics from our beautiful country.” The announcement builds on state-specific bans on the manufacture, supply,
storage and use of plastics that are already in place in at least 25 of the country’s 29 states. Most recently, on June 23,
Mumbai became the country’s largest city to implement a complete ban on single-use plastics, from plastic bags to bottles
and cutlery, as part of a statewide ban in Maharashtra. The ban allows exemptions for retail packaging, trash can liners andtakeaway packaging.
United Nations Environment Programme | 33

Market-based Instruments

Key Plastic Bag
Finding # 4: To date
only twenty- seven(27) countries haveinstituted taxes on
the manufacture andproduction of plasticbags while thirty (30)charge consumers
fees for plastic bags
at the national level.

•

Taxes on Manufacturers,
Importers or Producers:
Twenty-seven (27) countries
have instituted taxes on
the manufacture, import or
production of plastic bags.
Countries have adopted taxes
on locally and foreign madeplastic bags as manufactured
goods. Lesotho for instancecharges a specific levy on
carrier bags and flat bags,
while Jamaica charges anenvironmental levy on the saleof all locally manufactured
goods including plastic bags of
0.5%.

•

Levy or fee charged toconsumers: Thirty (30)countries have a levy or
fee charged to consumers.
Countries have adopted generalor specific legislation which
set a defined fee per plastic
bag type as well as more
discretionary approaches whichallow the retailer to determine
the fee to be charged foreach type of plastic bag. The
amount of the fees prescribedranges significantly between

Different regulatory approaches
have been adopted by countries toregulate plastic bags using marketbased instruments. Some countries
have specific national legislation
on plastic bags while others havepackaging laws or regulations
which govern plastic bags. The
two predominant approaches areillustrated below:

countries, often based on the
thickness and material content
of plastic bags regulated.
Different approaches on thebase fee were found including
countries which charged feesfor plastic bags based oncontent, e.g. fees for plasticbags were charged at a lower
cost that have a specificamount of recycled content inAndorra23, adoption of limits
on consumption rates per
customer e.g. Luxemburg24,
or requirements that plasticbags cannot be sold at a valueless that their actual cost as in
China and Estonia25 . Figure 5
below outlines the number ofcountries that have adopted
fees and levies on customer
versus levies or taxes on
manufacturers; and thosethat use both approaches.
The Bar chart also highlights
the proportion of countries
which don’t use market-based
approaches.

Figure 5 I Countries with Levies and Fees according to Type160

No Levies or Fees

143

140

Levies or Fee only on Customers

120

Levies or Fee only on
Manufuctures

100

Levies or fee on both customers
and Manufuctures

80
60
40

22

20

20
0
n = 1927

Total

34 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Table 14 presents data on all the countries disaggregated by region which charge a tax on manufacture of plastic
bags

Table 14: Countries which have a tax on manufacture/ production/import of plastic bags
Countries which have a tax on manufacture/production/import of plastic bags
AfricaLatin America andthe Caribbean

EuropeAsia and PacificWestern Asia

Canada and US

Côte d’Ivoire

Dominica

Albania

India

JordanN/A

LesothoJamaica

Bulgaria

TunisiaSouth Africa

Denmark

Uzbekistan

UgandaEstonia

Viet Nam

Lithuania
Malta
Montenegro
MoroccoNorwayPolandPortugal
Republic of Moldova
Romania
SerbiaSlovenia
The former
Yugoslav
Republic ofMacedonia

Lesotho, Dominica, Jamaica, Bulgaria, Denmark, Malta, Montenegro and Serbia while having taxes instituted onplastic bags currently have no bans.
Map 3 also includes a visual representation of the 30 countries which charge the consumer for the use or sale ofplastic bags.

United Nations Environment Programme | 35

Map 3 | Countries which use taxes, or fees to regulate the manufacture, distribution/use or tradein plastic bags

Plastic Bags
No Data
No tax on customer or retailer on distribution or manufacture
Tax on manufacture of plastic bags
Tax on distribution of plastic bags
Tax on manufacture and distribution of plastic bags
Fee on the distribution of plastic bags to end-users
Fee on the distribution of plastic bags to end-users and tax on distribution
Fee on the distribution of plastic bags to end-user and tax on manufacture
Fee on the distribution of plastic bags to end-users, tax on manufacture and distribution

Table 15 presents data on all the countries disaggregated by region which charge a fee to the consumer for plastic
bag sale or consumption. Countries that impose a legal mandate for reusable bags are indicated by an asterisk (*).

Table 15: Countries which charge a levy or fee for plastic bags at the national level on the
consumerCountries which charge a levy or fee for plastic bags (national level) on the consumer
AfricaLatin America andthe Caribbean

EuropeAsia and PacificWestern Asia

Canada and US

SenegalColombia*

China

N/A

N/A

South Africa

Paraguay*

AndorraBosnia andHerzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus*Czech Republic
Estonia
Greece*IrelandIsraelItaly*
Luxemburg
Netherlands
PolandRepublic of Moldova
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
The former
Yugoslav
Republic ofMacedonia
TurkeyUnited Kingdom*
Uzbekistan

Fiji
Nepal *
Republic of Korea* Countries with a legal mandate for re-usable bags.
36 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

In addition to the main approaches
identified a few countries provide
incentives for manufacturers or
producers of re-usable bags. These
countries have adopted incentives
to promote the production andmanufacture of re-usable bags as
in the case provided in Vietnam andRomania where environmentallyfriendly bags made from renewable
resources are exempt from anenvironmental protection tax. Nine
(9) countries, Albania, Cambodia,
Estonia, Greece, Malaysia,
Montenegro, Norway, Romania andVietnam provide fiscal incentives
or tax breaks to manufactures toeither recycle or produce reusable
plastic bags.(Figure 6)
Ten (10) countries charge a tax orlevy on the retailers or distributor ofplastic bags- Botswana, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Hungary, Israel, Jamaica,
Latvia, Poland, Portugal andSerbia. The predominant approach
therefore is the charge on the
consumer for use of plastic bags.
Table 16 provides some examplesof taxes, levies and fees on plasticbags instituted.

Figure 6 | Countries with laws that provide tax breaks for
manufacturers to recycle or produce reusable bags

9
Countries with tax breaks
Countries withut tax breaks

183
n = 192

Table 16: Country examples of taxes on the manufacture or
import of plastic bags
CountryTax on manufacture of plastic bags or importSouth Africa· Levy on the manufacture of plastic bags: 12c per bag is payable
to the South African Revenue Authority. An environmental levy ispayable on certain locally manufactured plastic bags of which the
manufacturing takes place in a licensed manufacturing warehouse.
The environmental levy is assessed and collected on the principles ofDuty at Source.

Malta· Tax on import: Charges are made on any goods of a class ordescription on plastic sacks and bags which further delineates rates
of excise duty.

Latvia· Tax on plastic bags: The law provides for a tax specifically onplastic bags 4,80 euro/kg for lightweight plastic bags, 1,50 euro/
kg for plastic bags thickness of material of which is more than 50
microns and the weight of one bag is more than three grams

United Nations Environment Programme | 37

Countries which regulate plastic bags through levies or fees are provided in Table 17 below.

Table 17: Country examples of the regulation of plastic bags through levies or fees
Countries

Regulation by payment of levies or fees
LeviesBosnia Herzegovina · Levy paid by retailers of plastic bags: The levy for placing in the market a plastic bag is 0,05 KM per
piece and 50 KM per a pack of 1000 bags. Levies are paid by the retailers directly to the Environmental
Protection Fund of Federation twice per year. A 0,025 € levy is paid by the retailers who put plastic bags
thinner than 20 microns into circulation.
Ireland· Levy paid by Retailer on plastic bags: Plastic Bag Levy: Supply to customers of plastic bags will becharged, levied at the point of sale to them of goods or products to be placed in the bags, or otherwise ofplastic bags in or at any shop, supermarket, service station or other sales outlet. The amount of the levy is
22 cents for each plastic bag.

Cyprus· Levy paid by Retailer on plastic bags: The levy charged is 5 eurocents plus 19% VAT from 1 July 2018
onwards. From 1 July 2018, the free distribution of lightweight plastic carrier bags from retailers who makeavailable to the public such bags at the points of sale is prohibited.” All retailers who make available to the
public lightweight carrier bags at the points of sale, shall charge, at a minimum, 5 eurocents plus VAT foreach lightweight plastic carrier bag.

Fiji

· Levy paid by consumer: A levy is charged on plastic bags distributed by businesses prescribed byregulations. the Environment and Climate Adaptation Levy charged on plastic bags is $0.10c per plasticbag. The Levy on plastic bags is payable by the person to whom a plastic bag is provided.

Israel· Levy paid by retailer of plastic bags: The Law for the Reduction of the Use of Disposable Carrying Bags2016 requires a large retailer to pay, for every single carrying bag sold, a levy of 8.54 agorot. A large retailer
will not provide a customer with a carrying bag, unless the customer charges the customer no less than theamount of the levy under article 5, plus VAT applicable to the sale.

Colombia· Consumption tax on plastic bags: This tax is generated when delivering any plastic bag, whose purpose
is to load or carry products sold by the commercial establishment that delivers it. This tax is generated
when delivering any plastic bag, whose purpose is to load or carry products sold by the commercial
establishment that delivers it. Plastic bags that offer Environmental solutions will have differential rates of0%, 25%, 50% or 75% the full value of the tariff, as long as the following requirements:
1. Biodegradability: Biodegradable plastic bag in an equal percentage or greater than thirty percent (30%)
as indicated in the regulations In any case, the plastic bag must not contain substances of interest in its
composition
2. Percentage of recycled material in the composition of the bag:
3. Reuse: Plastic bag that, by dynamic load test, show that it is reusable with the maximum load indicated,in accordance with standards.
Fees

Andorra·Fees on the distribution of plastic bags: Commercial establishments can distribute plastic bags with athickness equal to or greater than 50 microns that have a volume equal to or greater than 10 liters, provided
that the following applies: All the distributed stock exchanges: At a minimum price of 10 cents of euros
for plastic bags manufactured with a minimum of 80% recycled plastic. At a minimum price of 15 cents ofeuros for plastic bags manufactured with less than 80% recycled plastic.

Bulgaria· Fees for Plastic bags: Product fees have been adopted for thin plastic bags for shopping with exceptionof the ultrathin plastics bags without a handhold are offered to the consumers for payment at the point ofsale of the goods or products. The Product tax is not due for plastic bags for shopping under the following
cumulative conditions: a) the thickness of the bag is at least 25 µm; b) the minimal size of the bag is 390
mm/490 mm in full length; в) they bear a sign in Bulgarian printed on each package of bags. Persons,placing plastic bags on the market, incl. the retailers and persons selling to final consumers must pay the
one-off product fee.

China

· Fees on the sale of plastic bags: No exact fee requirement is provided by the law, this is determined by
the retailer, but the fee for plastic shopping bags cannot be lower than the manufacturing cost or have any
discount or be free. No free plastic shopping bags shall be provided at any commodities retail places, andthe price of plastic shopping bags shall be clearly marked and charged separately from the commodity
price.”

Croatia*· Fees on the distribution of plastic bags: The law requires that any person who places plastic bags on
the market (e.g. retail chains selling / distributing bags) must pay a fee of $ 1,500.00 per ton.

38 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Countries

Regulation by payment of levies or fees

Czech Republic· Control of Packaging waste: Packaging Act The law does not stipulate the fixed or minimum priceof plastic carry bags, each vendor determines this price itself. The minimum price is at least so high toreimburse the costs corresponding to the cost of plastic bag purchased by vendor. A plastic carrying bag
may be provided at the point of sale of the product to the consumer at least for the reimbursement of costs
corresponding to the cost of its purchase. This does not apply if it is a very light plastic carrying bag plastic
bag with a wall thickness of up to 15 microns which is necessary for hygienic reasons or is provided as asales package for bulk foods if its use helps to prevent food waste.

Estonia· Consumer fee: Lightweight and very lightweight plastic carrier bags shall not be supplied to consumers
free of charge except for very lightweight plastic carrier bags which are used for ensuring hygiene or for
primary packaging of loose food when this helps to prevent food wastage. The retailer determines the fees.

Greece· Fee on the sale of plastic bags: Lightweight plastic carrier bags of a wall thickness less than 50 μm
are subject to an environmental fee. For 2018, the fee is set at 3 eurocents plus 24% VAT (for a total of 4
eurocents rounded up) whereas from 1 January 2018m the fee will be set at 7 eurocents plus VAT (for a
total of 9 eurocents rounded up). Plastic carrier bags, including reusable ones, of a thickness between
50 μm to 70 μm are not subject to the environmental fee but cannot be distributed for free unless in thecontext of a recycling promotional activity nevertheless, domestic law does not set the price of these bags
which can be set by the retailer at his / her discretion. It should be noted that the law explicitly provides forthe possibility of increasing the environmental fee should the target regarding consumption of lightweightplastic carrier bags not be met.

Italy

· Fee on the sale of plastic bags: Plastic bags not banned from circulation, including biodegradable andcompostable bags, cannot be distributed for free. The policy of pricing applies to all types of carrier plasticbags and to very lightweight bags for loose food. The amount of the fee is not prescribed by Law. National
legislation provides only the prohibition of free distribution of plastic bags, combined with the duty ofretailers-producers to clearly indicate the costs of the bag in the receipt/invoice.

Lithuania· Packaging waste: The Law provides an obligation to of the Producers and Importers to Manage
Packaging and Packaging Waste and pay the costs of collection, transport, preparation for use and useof packaging waste and participation in the security for non-reusable packaging in connection with the
management of disposable packaging waste collected in the deposit system and the administration of the
security for the non-reusable packaging system, as well as the costs of organizing and conducting publicawareness

Luxembourg· Packaging waste: To reduce sustainably plastic bags consumption on all Luxembourgish territory, 1)
the level of annual consumption should not exceed 90 light plastic bags per person by 31 December 2025.
very light Plastic bags defined by Article 3-5 are excluded; 2) By 21 December 2018, plastic bags will not beprovided freely in stores. very light Plastic bags defined by Article 3 (5) are excluded. There are agreements
between the Government, the distributors and the Recycling authority providing for the use of re-usable
bags. Agreements also provide the price of disposable bags based on agreement between industry andgovernment

Republic of Korea

Fee on the sale of plastic bags: Act on the promotion of saving and recycling of resources – For Singleuse plastic bags and shopping bags -5 cent/bag.

United Kingdom· Fee on the sale of plastic bags: Large shops in England charge 5p for all single use plastic carrier bags
they provide. From 20th October 2014 all retailers in Scotland must charge a minimum of 5p for eachnew single-use carrier bag. All retailers are required to charge, not just supermarkets, however smaller
businesses are exempt from the requirement to report centrally the numbers of bags sold and how muchthey have given to charity to minimize administrative burdens. From the 8 April 2013 all sellers of goods inNorthern Ireland had to charge their customers at least 5p levy for each single use carrier bag supplied new
to enable goods purchased to be taken away or delivered. From 19 January 2015, the levy was extended
to all carrier bags with a retail price of less than 20 pence, whether they are considered single use orreusable. In Wales The regulations require all retail sellers of goods to charge 5p per bag. There are certain
exemptions. Sellers which employ 10 or more staff must keep certain records.

The former
Yugoslav Republicof Macedonia· Consumer fee: Order for prohibition for the use of bags for transport of goods made of plastics, inshops, stores, warehouses, green markets for retail trades and personal use. exception bags light plasticbag. Charges are 2 MKD (~0,030 EUR) per plastic bag

Republic ofMoldova· Packaging waste: To prevent waste generation in accordance with the provisions of Article 3, and to
avoid environmental pollution, it is prohibited to distribute plastic bags free of charge, except for very thinplastic bags. No amount specified

United Nations Environment Programme | 39

Countries

Regulation by payment of levies or fees

Turkey *· Packaging wastes: Plastic bags starting on 1/1/2019, cannot be provided free of charge to the user or
consumer at the point of sale, and cannot be included in any promotions or campaigns that would allow
free supply. Very light plastic bags are exempt from this practice.
·o) The base fee to be applied to the plastic bags shall be determined by the Ministry considering themarket conditions and the proposal of the Packaging Commission composed of representatives of therelevant sector every year and shall remain valid for the following year.

Spain· Fee on the sale of plastic bags: Bags of thickness less than 15 microns intended for uses other thanthose listed in the definition of very light bags of article 3 d): 5 cents / bag. *Bags of thickness between 15
and 49 microns: 15 cents / bag. *Bags of thickness equal to or greater than 50 microns: 15 cents / bag.
*Bags of thickness equal to or greater than 50 microns, with content equal to or greater than 50% recycledplastic but less than 70%: 10-euro cents / bag

Nepal· Consumer fee:. Retailers, super Market and Shopping malls are entitled to charge fee for alternate bag
they provided. 0.30 cent to 50 cents

Netherlands· Consumer fee:.Plastic bags cannot be provided for free. This implies that the retailer is obliged to levy a
fee when providing plastic bags to. Supermarkets no longer give away free plastic bags at the cash register
as of 1 January 2014. The fee is not specified in the regulation.

Paraguay· Consumer fee: Based on size and thickness of the bag the law establishes that as of April 1, 2017,supermarkets self-service stores and stores in general, that in areas destined to collection of merchandise(each cash register), deliver polyethylene bags of only one use for the transport of merchandise, must
charge for them, tofrom the 4 unit (up to 3 units may be delivered in a free), as a minimum price based on size ranging from
100-250 Gas. The charge for the bags, has as objective, to deliver to the consumer bags of polyethylene,
which can be reused often, and allocate resources to the awareness campaigns.

Poland· Fees for Plastic bags: An Entrepreneur operating a retail unit or wholesale, in which lightweight plastic
shopping bags are offered Intended for packing products offered in this unit, is obligated to collect a
recycling fee from a lightweight plastic shopping bag plastic. The recycling fee is not collected from thepurchaser of a very light bag
plastic shopping. The rate of the recycling fee is PLN 0.20 per one piece of lightweight plastic shopping
bag.

Senegal· Fees for Plastic bags: Plastic bags of a thickness greater than or equal to 30 microns, whatever the use
for which they are intended, may not be distributed or offered free of charge. The use, possession for sale,offering for sale and the sale or free distribution of plastic bags of a thickness of less than 30 microns shallbe punishable by a fine of 50,000 CFA francs.

Slovakia· Packaging waste: The packaging manufacturer who provides light plastic bags for the purchase ofgoods or products is obligatory (a) to provide them for payment; This obligation does not apply to theproviding of very light plastic packaging,b) provide other types of bags. The legislation does not regulate a price for a plastic bag.

Slovenia· Packaging waste: Free distribution of plastic carrying bags is prohibited except for very light plastic
bags, but no laws determine the amount of fee that should be imposed by the retailer. The law currently
leaves it to distributor to determine the price, and institute a return/exchange program

Uzbekistan*· Fee on consumer: From January 1, 2019 there is prohibition of free issue or inclusion of the cost of
packages of polymer films in the cost of goods sold in the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as
the sale of packages of polymer films below their cost is prohibited. The amount of levy appears to be left
to the retailer.

Note: * Countries fee systems are not yet in force but regulations were passed this year.

40 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Return, Collection, Recycling
and Disposal of plastic
Many countries have not extended
their regulation of plastic beyond
the collection of plastic bags as
litter or solid waste. However,a range of countries haveconcentrated on regulating thedisposal phase of the plastic life
cycle through recycling targets,
extended producer responsibilityor fees or fines for the disposal ofplastic bags. Approaches include
requiring the responsible collection
and disposal by manufacturers or
producers of plastic, retailers anddistributors and in some cases theconsumer.

Extended Producer

Key Plastic Bag
Finding #5: 43
countries haveincluded elementsor characteristics ofextended producer
responsibility policy
related to plasticbags within national
legislation.

it as “an environmental policy
approach in which a producer’s
responsibility for a product is
extended to the post-consumer
stage of a product’s life cycle,
including the shifting of physicaland/or financial responsibility,
fully or partially, towards upstream
producers for treatment or disposal
of post-consumer products, andproviding incentives to producers
to incorporate environmental
considerations in the design of theirproducts”.
EPR as a policy mechanism relieson the industry to galvanize action
to ensure recovery and recycling of
packaging. Different approaches
are found to incorporate this policy
approach in countries which areoften found in a patch work ofdifferent laws and regulations.
EPR as a policy approach consistsof a number of elements whichwere found by researchers in
the countries assessed. Some
examples include:•

Responsibility for addressing
environmental impacts e.g. In
Australia, EPR is part of lifecycle
management of a range of
products and can include
management of the potential
environmental impacts ofa product in all stages of
production, distribution, use,collection, re-use, recycling,
reprocessing and disposal ofthat product.

•

Recovery and Recycling ofbags e.g. In Mali, the producer
and distributor who markets
or uses in its activity’s plastics
or other non-biodegradable
packaging is obliged to proceed
to recovery of its plastics andpackaging used for recycling.

Responsibility
Extended Producer Responsibility(EPR) is a policy approach in whicha producer’s responsibility for a
product is extended to the postconsumer stage of a product’s life
cycle, such as responsibility forclean-up or recycling, or other waysof managing the waste generated
by their products put on the market.
The OECD Guidance Manualfor Governments on Extended
Producer Responsibility defines•

Responsibility for return andtrade controls e.g. Gambia
requires importers to returnplastic or recycle it at own
costs, and manufacturers to be
responsible for recycling.

Countries whose laws included
limited elements of EPR orvagueness in EPR responsibilities
were not included in this report as
having full EPR systems.26
Table 18 provides examples of EPR
rules that apply to packaging andplastic bags.

United Nations Environment Programme | 41

Table 18: Examples of EPR rules that apply to packaging and plastic bags
Country

EPR Rules

Paraguay

There are obligations on the generator to ensure storage in containers suitable for their volume, handling andcharacteristics, in order to avoid its dispersion.

Zimbabwe

The Agency responsible for plastic waste shall set prevention targets including (a) the disposal of plastic
waste by the responsible person in designated receptacles or sites; or (b) the design of plastics containing
few pollutants, are recyclable and durable when put to their intended use; or (c) the use of biodegradable
plastics; or (d) the creation of the mode of distribution and return systems, that reduce residual plastic waste
to a minimum.

BhutanWith the aim of achieving a more sustainable approach to resource use and a reduction in the quantity of
waste going to disposal, the Commission may require producers to take responsibility for the costs of the
management of their products when they become waste, by diverting end of life products to reuse, recycling
or other forms of recovery and safe disposal. The law indicates that Producers/industries shall be fully
responsible for safe and proper disposal of their waste.

Vanuatu

The Minister may by regulation impose requirements in relation to certain wastes that have adverse impacts
on the environment or human health by imposing obligations on persons importing, exporting, using or
manufacturing certain objects, substances or things which may become waste in relation to their eventual
disposal.

Finland

It is the responsibility of the producer to manage waste management and associated costs related to
products it has brought to the market. The producer’s responsibility applies to discarded products delivered
to a reception points or for transportation.

NorwayProducers that place on the market at least 1 000 kg per year of a specific type of packaging shall fundthe collection, sorting, recycling and other treatment of used packaging and packaging waste throughmembership of a producer responsibility organization that has been approved by the Norwegian Environment
Agency.

The pie chart provided in Figure 7 outlines countries which regulate the disposal phase of plastic bags throughrecycling targets, extended producer responsibility etc. and those which do not regulate this phase of the plastic baglife cycle. It outlines the percentage of countries twenty-two percent (22%) which have adopted EPR as part of theirregulatory approach in law.

Figure 7 | Number of countries with characteristics of extended producer responsibility

22

67
33
11

Countries that do not have disposal regulations or requirements
Countries with disposal regulations that do NOT include extended producer responsibility
Countries with disposal regulations including extended producer responsibilityn = 192

42 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Forty-three (43) country national laws were identified as including characteristics of EPR.27 These countries areprovided by region in Table 19. A map of the countries that recognize characteristics of EPR is provided as well.(Map 4 )Map 4 | Countries which include extended Producer responsibility to regulate plastic bags

Plastic Bags
No Data
No Extended Producer Responsbility or special regulations on return or disposal
Special regulations on return, or disposal only
EPR and special regulation on return or disposal

Table 19: Regional distribution of countries that include EPR in the regulation of plastic bags
Countries which include EPR as part of their regulation of plastic bags
AfricaLatin America andthe Caribbean

EuropeAsia and PacificWestern Asia

Côte d’Ivoire
GambiaMali
SenegalZimbabwe

Antigua and Barbuda
BahamasBolivia (Plurinational
State of)
Paraguay
Uruguay

Austria
Bosnia & Herz.
CyprusEstonia
Finland
Georgia
GreeceHungary
IsraelItaly
Lithuania
Luxemburg
Malta
Montenegro
Netherlands
NorwayRepublic of Moldova
Romania
SerbiaSlovakia
Spain
SwedenThe former
Yugoslav
Republic ofMacedonia

Australia
BhutanIndia
Indonesia
Japan
Republic of Korea
Togo
Tonga
VanuatuTunisia

US/ Canada

United Nations Environment Programme | 43

Recycling Targets

Key Plastic Bag
Finding #6:
There are Fiftyone (51) countries
that have adopted
requirements toimplement recycling
targets.
Countries have instituted recycling
targets in various forms. Somecountries set targets on the numberof plastic bags to be collected
and recycled such as The former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
which sets a minimum of 55% anda maximum of 80% of the weightof packaging waste created orreused. Lichtenstein only allows
plastic bags to be placed on themarket if they were manufactured
in a specific way so that a certain
amount of weight of materials,
can be recycled, is used. Others
set targets for local authorities tocreate waste management plansthat include recycling components
such as India, Ethiopia and
Botswana. This approach is also
found in the European Union. The
EU has a target for 55% of all plastic
to be recycled by 2030 and formember states to reduce the use ofbags per person from 90 a year to
40 by 2026.28
In some countries recycledtargets are limited to prescribedbusinesses because of thelarge volume of packaging theyuse such as in Japan, which
requires the rationalizationof their use of packaging andreporting of activities to reduce
waste packaging to the national
government. Recycling targets
are also often linked with efforts
to provide replacement of plasticbags with biodegradable, renewableand eco-friendly materials as seen
above in relation to partial and fullbans of plastic bags.
There are Fifty-one (51) countries
that have adopted requirements toimplement recycling targets. They
are presented in Table 20. Countries
that impose a legal mandate forreusable bags are indicated by anasterisk (*).

Table 20: Regional distribution of countries that require recycling within the regulation ofplastic bags
Countries with national laws that require the recycling of plastic bags
AfricaLatin America andthe Caribbean

EuropeAsia and PacificWestern Asia

North America

Botswana
Cameroon
CAR
Chad
Ethiopia
GambiaMali
SenegalTunisia

Bolivia (Plurinational
State of)BrazilParaguay*
Uruguay

Austria
Croatia
Cyprus*Czech Rep.
Estonia
Finland
Georgia
Greece*Hungary
IsraelLichtenstein
Lithuania
Luxemburg
Malta
Montenegro
Netherlands
NorwayPortugal*
Republic of Moldova
Slovakia
Spain
SwedenThe former
Yugoslav
Republic ofMacedonia
Turkey*Australia
BhutanCambodia*
India
IndonesiaJapan
Lao People’s
Democratic
Republic
Mongolia
Philippines
Republic of Korea
Samoa
Togo
Tonga
TuvaluVanuatu*

Qatar

N/A

*Countries whose laws also promote the use of re-usable bags
44 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Fines related to Plastic Bag Legislation
Most countries have solid waste or litter legislation to govern the disposal of plastic bags. A few countries wereidentified in addition to these laws to have specific fines for breach of plastic bag specific rules or packaging or
waste generation rules. Some examples of countries that have adopted criminal offences or fines for breach ofnational bans or other legal requirements related to plastic bags as packaging are outlined in Table 21 below.

Table 21: Examples of fines related to plastic bags within Legislation
Country

Year law passed

Fine for breach of plastic bag rules

Benin

Law No. 2017-39 of 26 December
2017 prohibiting the production,
importation, exploitation,marketing, possession,
distribution and use of nonbiodegradable plastic bags in the
Republic of Benin

Article 12: Any natural or legal person who produces, imports or exports
plastic bags in contravention of the provisions of Article 4 shall bepunished with an amount of five million (5,000,000) to fifty million(50,000,000) CFA franc, without prejudice to the additional penalties ofwithdrawal of authorization or authorization, freezing and confiscationof assets, provisional or definitive closure that may be pronounced. The
representatives of this legal person are liable to imprisonment from three(03) months to six (06) months. In case of recidivism, these are doubled
Anyone who markets, distributes or holds plastic bags in contravention of
the provisions of Article 4 of this Law, shall be punished by an amount of
one hundred thousand (100,000) to five million (5,000,000) CFA francs anda term of imprisonment of three (03) to six (06) months. Any natural or
legal person who sells or sells for free, the unauthorized bags is punishedwith an almond ranging from ten thousand (10,000) to five hundred
thousand (500,000) CFA francs and imprisonment of three (3) to six (6)months.

Estonia

Waste Act (2004) subsection 120

Violation of requirements for prevention of waste generation or for waste
management (as packaging material) (1) Violation of the requirements forthe prevention of waste generation or for waste management or depositof waste outside of waste management facilities is punishable by a fine of
up to 300 fine units. (2) The same act, if committed by a legal person, ispunishable by a fine of up to 3200 euros.

GambiaRegulation 4- Ban on Plastic Bags
Order, 2015- Regulations madeunder the National Environment
Management Act

Reg. 4 A Person who a) manufactures or imports b) uses; or c) sells
plastic bags in the Gambia commits an offence.

Kenya

Gazette Notice No. 2334, Issued
on March 14, 2007 under the
Authority of Sections 3 and 86 of
the Environmental Management
and Coordination Act cap 387 on
Plastic Bags.

Any person who— (a) contravenes any environmental standard prescribedunder this Act; (b) contravenes any measure prescribed under this Act;
commits an offence and shall be liable upon conviction, to a fine of notless than one year but not more than four years or to a fine of not lessthan two million shillings but not more than four million shillings, or toboth such fine and imprisonment.

Nepal

Environmental Protection Act
1997, Section 18

Fine of up to NRs 50000 (US$ 500) for breaching the Plastic Bag
Monitoring and Control Guideline 2011.

United Nations Environment Programme | 45

City level regulation of plastic
bags
This report finds that a number ofcountries have adopted national
level approaches to plastic bag
regulation. However, several
countries including several large
federal states such as the US,
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, and India
regulate plastic bags at the sub
national level. While the review of all
subnational regulation of plastics is
outside of the scope of the report
we provide some examples of citylevel regulation below.
In Argentina the Ministry ofEnvironment and Sustainable
Development has a unit ofsustainable cities (ciudades
sustenables) which is in chargeof the issues related with plasticbags. This Unit is working with theplastic workers’ union (sindicato
de trabajadores del plastic), thechamber of plastic recyclers (lacámara de recicladores plásticos)
and other civil organizations thatare related to the matter in orderto create strategies to ban and/or reduce the use of conventional
plastic bags . At the subnational
level, a number of provinces havealready taken action include theprovinces of Neuquén, Río Negro
Chubut, Buenos Aires which
prohibits the delivery and sale ofplastic bags, which do not meet thecharacteristics of being degradable,
oxobiodegradable, biodegradable,hydrodegradable and include
Programs for the Reduction and
Progressive Replacement ofpolyethylene bags, polypropylene or
another kind of nonbiodegradablebags.
In Brazil, Rio de Janeiro State
enacted Law 5502 of 2009, which

provides for the replacement
and collection of plastic bags incommercial establishments to
support recycling. While in the stateof Minas Gerais, the city of Belo
Horizonte that mandates the use of
eco-friendly bags instead of plastic
bags.
In Belgium, plastic bags are
regulated at the regional level
including the Brussels-Capitalregion, where the use of single-use
plastics is banned in retail areas,
checkout bags are banned since
1st September 2017 and packaging
bags from 1st September 2018.
Exemptions are provided forspecific types of plastic bags.
In the Philippines while there
is no national law or regulation
on plastics, 59 cities andmunicipalities, mostly in and aroundthe national capital region, haveenacted local ordinances that ban
or charge a levy on plastic bags.
In the US, Only California and
Hawaii have state wide banson non- biodegradable plasticbags. In addition, Washington
D.C. passed Legislation to help
protect the Anacostia River, andmoney raised from the plastic
bag levy is helping to clean up
the river. 6 cities have plastic bagbans (Austin, Boston, Chicago, Los
Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle
Washington. 6 counties/ cities
have plastic bag fees (Boulder,
Brownsville, Montgomery Country,
New York, Portland, Washington
DC. 10 states have outlawed plastic
bag bans including in Arizona,
Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, Idaho,
Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri,
Indiana, Iowa.

municipalities have instituted banson plastic bags. Montreal andVictoria have announced plans toban bags in 2018. Vancouver, BC,home to Plastic Oceans Foundation
Canada Founding Office, is oneof the world’s Greenest Cities andhas an ambitious goal to becomea zero-waste community by 2040
with the elimination of all single use
products including plastic bags.
In Australia most of its six states
territories have taken action toban plastic bags with thickness of
up to 35 microns including South
Australia: Banned since 2009,
Australian Capital Territory: Banned
since 2011, Northern Territory:
Banned since 2011, Tasmania:
Banned since 2013, Queensland:
Ban from July 1, Western Australia:
Ban from July 1, Victoria: Ban thisyear, New South Wales: No ban
Single Use Plastics (SUP) consistof two families of polymers—
thermoplastics and thermosets—
the defining difference being theirmalleability when heat is applied.
Thermoplastics can be melted
down and reshaped after they havebeen set while thermoset plastics
can only be formed once (United
Nations Environment Programme,
2018). The most prevalent singleuse plastic waste items arethermoplastic polymers, including
Polyethylene Terphtalate (PET),Polypropylene (PE), Low Density
Polyethylene (LDPE), High Density
Polyethylene (HDPE), Polystyrene(PS), Expanded Polystyrene(EPS), Polyvinyl-chloride (PVC),
Polycarbonate, Polypropylene(PP), Polylactic acid (PLA), andPolyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA)(Table 22).

In Canada both towns and

46 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

AN OVERVIEW OF REGULATORYAPPROACHES CONTROLLING SINGLE USE
PLASTIC ITEMSThis section provides a global overview of countries that have established some form ofnational legislation to regulate single use plastic items.

Regulatory Approaches
This section surveys the regulatory
approaches to address the problem
of single use plastic item pollution.
The two main mechanisms
employed by national governments
are bans or restrictions on the
manufacture, use, distribution, sale,or trade of single-use plastics andmarket-based instruments such as
taxes or levies.
Bans and prohibitions on the
manufacture, use, distribution, sale,or trade of single-use plastics

Key Single Use
Plastics Findings#1: Twenty-seven(27) countries haveenacted through law
some type of ban on
single-use plastics—
either on specificproducts (e.g.
plates, cups, straws,
packaging), materials(e.g. polystyrene) or
production levels.

Table 22: Polymer types and commonly associated plastic
products
Polymer type

Common products

Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE)

Bags, trays, containers, food packaging
film

High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

Milk bottles, freezer bags, shampoo
bottles, ice cream containers

Polyethylene Terphtalate (PET)

Bottles for water and other beverages,
dispensing containers for cleaning
fluids, biscuit trays

Polystyrene (PS)

Cutlery, plates, and cups

Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)

Hot drink cups, insulated foodpackaging, protective packaging forfragile items

Polypropylene (PP)

Microwave dishes, ice cream tubs,
potato chip bags, bottle caps

Adapted from: (United Nations Environment Programme, 2018)
Twenty-seven countries haveenacted bans of some type on
the manufacture, distribution, use,sale, and/or import of single-use
plastics. Bans exist in all regions of
the world, but small island states(small, low-lying coastal countries
and islands scattered in the
different regions of the world, whichface specific social, economicand environmental vulnerabilities),
are overrepresented, perhaps due
to a reliance and connection tomarine ecosystems and tourism
impacted by plastic pollution. Allbans have some exceptions—in
other words they do not apply to
all disposable plastic products. In
22 countries, bans target specificproducts, such as plates, cups, andutensils. In 16 countries, specificmaterials (polymers) are banned,
most commonly polystyrene andexpanded polystyrene. In somecases, particular uses of plastics
are targeted, such as polystyrene
utensils and takeout boxes in foodservice establishments. In a few (2)cases, countries have establishedproduction restrictions, limiting thequantity or thickness of single-use
plastics, or requiring a percentageof recycled material. Figure 8 below
provides an overview of the numberof different ban types.

United Nations Environment Programme | 47

Bans may target the production,
distribution or sale, use, or importof single-use plastics. Nearly halfof existing bans targeted all theseprocesses while the rest only
targeted one or some.
A more in depth look at the 27
existing bans reveals that mosthave come into force since 2012,
although a few were passed in 2008or earlier. The most commonly
targeted polymers are polystyrene
and expanded polystyrene andthe most commonly targeted
products are for the packaging,carrying and consumption of food.
The Seychelles stands out for its

Key Single Use
Plastics Findings#2: None of theplastic single use
item bans are “total”.
In other words,
exceptions exist for
certain products
or materials, suchas for so-called
biodegradable
plastics.

level of detail in defining plastic
by its various polymers. Canada’s
ban is part of a larger circular
economy initiative and green growthact, while most are regulations
specifically focused on reducing
waste. The majority of bans do not
specify enforcement provisions,such as fines or prosecution.
Notably, there are 10 small islandstates from the Caribbean, Africa,
South Asia, Europe, and the Pacificthat have enacted bans. However,
several landlocked countries
have also enacted bans, including
Burkina Faso, Austria, Liechtenstein,
San Marino, and Zimbabwe.

MAP 5 | Bans on Single-Use Plastics

Single Use Plastics
No Data
No bans of any type enacted
Ban on manufacture, import, free distribution, and/or use of single-use plastics enacted

48 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Figure 8 | Number of bans by typeBan on specific materials only2

Production volume restrictions only2

Ban on specific products materials

14

Ban on specific products only

9

No ban
0

166
20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

MAP 6 | Partial Bans on Single-Use Plastics

Partial Bans
No Data
No ban of any type enacted
Ban on free distribution and use and import, but not manufacture
Ban on manufacture and free distribution and use but not import
Ban on manufacture, distribution and use, and import
Ban on manufacture and import but not distribution and use
Ban on free distribution and use
Ban on import

United Nations Environment Programme | 49

MAP 7 | Bans on specific Products

Single Use Bans
No Data
No ban of any type enacted
Ban on specific products only
Ban on specific products and materials
Production volume restrictions only
Ban on specific materials only

50 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Table 23: National bans and restrictions on single-use plastics
CountryType of ban or restriction

Legislation

Antigua and Barbuda

Material and product ban: Ban on expanded polystyrene
products in the food service industry

Ban on the importation and use of
Styrofoam food service products, 2017

Burkina Faso

Product ban: The production, importation, marketing or
distribution of packaging and non-biodegradable plasticbags intended directly for sanitary activities, scientificand experimental research or for the purpose of
security and national security, are subject to a special
authorization issued by the Minister charge of industry,
commerce and craftsmanship based on advices from
the Minister in charge environment and sustainable
development

Law N ° 017-2014 /AN on the prohibitionof the production, import, marketing anddistribution of non-biodegradable plastic
packaging and plastic bags

CanadaMaterial/Product ban: Ban on manufacturing, use, andimport of rigid foam plastic produced through use of
CFCs or HCFCs1

Ozone-depleting Substances andHalocarbon Alternatives Regulations
2016/137

China

Material/product ban: Ban on the import of usedplastics for use as raw materials, including plastic bags,
films, and nets, and polyvinyl, styrene polymer, PET

Notice on adjusting the managing
category of imported wastes”(02/26/2014) Exhibit 1 Prohibited
Wastes, No. 80; 2

Costa Rica

Material/product ban: A ban on single-use plastics(including polystyrene) in food service areas ofgovernment institutions

Directive 14, 2018

Fiji

Production/distribution restriction: Facilities must havea plastic bottle permit from work permit committee
in order to manufacture or import plastic bottles.
Application for permit must include measures taken tocollect and recycle bottles.

Environmental Management (Waste
disposal and recycling) Guidelines 2007

FranceProduct ban: By January 1st, 2020, distribution of
disposable “kitchen cups, glasses, and plates made outof plastic” as well as cotton swabs with plastic sticks is
prohibited

Energy Transition for Green Growth
Act n°2015-992 of 18 July 2015, Title
IV “Combating wastage and promoting
circular economy: from design torecycling”

Haiti

Material ban: The manufacture, import, and use ofpolystyrene products is banned

Presidential Ban in Favor ofEnvironmental Protection, 2012

Israel

Product restriction: Prohibits the manufacture andimport of beverage containers that require a deposit
without the label containing the words “owe deposit”

Deposit on beverage containers law,
1999, Article 3

Italy

Product ban: Manufacture and sale of cotton swabs
with a plastic stick will be banned starting January 1,
2019

Law n. 205/2017, Art. 1, Section 545

GuyanaMaterial ban: The manufacture, use, distribution, andimport of polystyrene containers for food service
establishments is banned

Regulation 8 of 2015 under
Environmental Protection Act

Liechtenstein

Production restriction: Packaging must be designed
and manufactured to limit the volume and weight to theminimum necessary to ensure safety and hygiene while
also ensuring the material can be recycled or reused

Article 5 Section 1 Regulation on
Packaging and Packaging Waste(Verordnung über Verpackungen und
Verpackungsabfälle), Annex II Council
Directive 94/62/EC on packaging andpackaging waste.

Malta

Product restrictions: Packaging, plates, cups, and somebeverage containers must be designed, manufactured,and sold in such a way to permit their reuse or
recyclability

Waste Management Regulations 549.43,
2007

United Nations Environment Programme | 51

Marshall Islands

Material/Product ban: a ban on the importation,
manufacture, sale and distribution of polystyrene cups
and plates, disposable plastic cups and plates andplastic shopping bags

Styrofoam and Plastic Products
Prohibition Act 2016, S. 3

Mauritius

Product ban: Ban on plastic banners

Environment Protection (Banning of
Plastic Banners) Regulations 2008.

MonacoMaterial/Product ban: The manufacture, distribution orsale of plastic utensils made of less than 40% “biobased” materials is banned

Sovereign Ordinance No. 5.831 of 9 May
2016 on Plastic Bags and Utensils andthe Ministerial Decree No. 2016-307 of
9 May 2016 on Plastic Disposable Bags
and Utensils

Pakistan

Product ban: Ban on the manufacture, import, sale,and use of non-biodegradable plastic products in theIslamabad Capital Territory

Environment Protection Act 1997 of
Pakistan, SRO No 5 (KE) 2013

Republic of Korea

Ban on free distribution: Disposable products, including
PET bottles, plastic plates, utensils, cups and otherdisposable packages cannot be provided free of charge

Article 10 of Act on the promotionof saving and recycling of resources(Control etc., of use of disposable
products); 2015

Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines

Material and product ban: Ban on manufacture, use,sale, and import of all expanded polystyrene productsin the food service industry. Measure was phased infrom 2017-2018 and is fully in force as of January 31,
2018. Fine of up to 5,000 EC and up 12 months jail timeor both for violators

Environmental Health (Expanded
Polystyrene) Regulations 2017

San Marino

Organizers of public events must only provide reusable
tableware, cutlery and cups, or made of biodegradable
thermoplastic materials (bioplastic), and provide
returnable beverage containers.

Waste Management Regulation (Boardof Directors Resolution A.A.S.S n°46 of
23/05/2013), article 30 Cleaning andwaste collection in the areas used for
public events §3 b) c) d)

Saudi Arabia

Material and product ban: Prohibited to manufacture,advertise, sell, import, or use polypropylene andpolyethylene plastics intended for one-time use,
including personal care products, plastic bags intended
for one-time use, and disposable foot products such as
spoons, plates, and cups

Technical Regulation No. (MA-156-1603-03) on the biodegradable plastic
products of in the local markets

Seychelles

Material and product ban: Prohibition on the
manufacture, import, distribution, and sale ofpolystyrene boxes and plastic utensils. Plastic isdefined as: “material which contains as an essential
ingredient a high polymer such as polyethylene
terephthalate, high density polyethylene, vinyl, lowdensity polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene resins,
multi-materials like acrylonitrile butadiene styrene,
polyphenylene oxide, polycarbonate, polyburtylene
terephthalate “

S.I. 38 of 2017 Environment Protection(restriction on importation, distribution,and sale of plastic utensils andpolystyrene boxes) Regulations 2017

Sri Lanka

Material/product ban: 1) Ban on the manufacture,
distribution and use of food containers, plates,
cups, and spoons made from polystyrene and lunch
wrappers (a commonly used item in Sri Lanka)
made from polyethylene. Separately, 2) the import ofdisposable polystyrene boxes and polymers of ethylene,
styrene and vinyl chloride are controlled.

Executive Order as gazetted No.
2034/34 of September 1, 2017 provided
for by Article 51 of the 19th Amendment
to the Constitution and the National
Environmental Act No. 47 of 1980 as
amended, S. 23. 2) Imports and Exports
Control Act No. 1, 1969; Gazetted
2044/40 and 2044/41 of September 11,
2017.

TuvaluMaterial/product ban: The manufacture, sale,
distribution of plastic foam products (including
polystyrene foam, board stock, egg cartons, foodcontainers, disposable plates and cups, and horticulture
netting) is banned.

Ozone Depleting Substances
Regulations 2010.

52 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

United Arab Emirates

Material/product ban: The manufacture and importof non-biodegradable semi-rigid plastic packaging for
food, magazines, consumer durables, garbage bags,
shrink wrap, pallet wrap, and other disposables isbanned.

Standard & Specification for Oxobiodegradation of Plastic bags and otherdisposable Plastic objects; Specific
Requirements for the Registration of
Oxo-biodegradable Plastic Objects
according to UAE Standard 5009: 2009
(Revision 1, March 1, 2014)

VanuatuMaterial/product ban: The manufacture, distribution,use, and import of plastic straws and polystyrene
products, including takeout boxes, food packaging,disposable plates and cups, and horticultural netting

Waste Management Act 24 of 2014

Zimbabwe

Material ban: The manufacture, distribution, use, andimport of plastic packaging of a thickness of greaterthan 30 micrometers and polystyrene is prohibited

The Environmental Management(Plastic Packaging and Plastic Bottles)
Regulations, 2010 as amended by
Statutory amendment 84 of 2012.

Table 24 shows the breakdown of ban types by region, showing that bans have been enacted in a range of countriesof different income levels and across regions.

Table 24: Bans and Restrictions by Region
Region/Country

Ban on Manufacture

Ban on Free Distribution

Ban on Import

AfricaBurkina Faso



Mauritius

Seychelles







Zimbabwe

Asia & Pacific
China



Marshall Islands







PakistanRep. of Korea
Sri LankaTuvaluVanuatu















EuropeFrance

Israel



Italy



Lichtenstein



Malta



Monaco

San Marino











LAC

United Nations Environment Programme | 53

Antigua & Barbuda

Guyana







Haiti







St. Vincent & the
Grenadines







UruguayNorth America
CanadaWest Asia
Saudi Arabia



UAE



Bans on specific products mostcommonly focused on those
associated with food service anddelivery—a common disposable.
Twelve countries target plates, cups,
stirrers, and/or utensils while fivetarget takeout containers and six
target plastic bottles and beveragecontainers.(Figure 9)

Box 1: European Union Regional Initiatives to Reduce Plastic
Waste

Key Single Use
Plastics Findings#3: Small Island
States have beendisproportionately
more likely to enactbans on single-use
plastics—37% (10countries) of nationalbans have come fromthese countries.

In 2018, the EU proposed a Directive intended to reduce single-use plastics as acentral part of its Plastics Strategy.

The European Union has recognized its role as in reducing plastic-based marine
letter by developing a Plastics Strategy that includes directives to preventand reduce plastic waste. For single-use plastics, this includes a Directive on
Packaging and Packaging Waste—created initially in 1994 (Directive 94/62/EC)
and updated over the past two decades (Directive 2015/720) to better clarify thedefinition of packaging and to explicitly include single use plastics. These support
the Waste Framework Directive (2008/98), the Marine Strategy Framework
Directive (2008/56/EC), and the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (91/271/
EEC).

Box 2: Selected Examples of Subnational Action
While this report focuses on national-level legislation and regulation, it’s important
to note that significant action to reduce plastic pollution is taking place at the
subnational level through the efforts of states, cities and other jurisdictions. The
following examples highlight a few of these efforts:
Seattle, Washington (USA) became the first US city to ban plastic utensils andstraws in restaurants when its new ban went into force on July 1, 2018. The
ban is part of a 2008 ordinance that requires food service establishments toseek recyclable or composable alternatives to disposable containers, cups,
straws, utensils, and other products (CBS/AP, 2018). The ban will affect the city’s
estimated 5,000 restaurants.
The Indian state of Maharashtra banned the manufacture, usage, distribution, sale,storage, and import of plastic bags and disposable products made from plastic(including polystyrene). This includes cups, utensils, plates, glasses, containers,
and plastic packaging. There are exceptions for use in the medical, agricultural,
waste, food storage, and export fields. Fines have been set at the equivalent of
US$68 for first offenders, which doubles for a second offense. Third offenses may
result in a fine of the equivalent of US$340 and possible imprisonment (Indian
Express, 2018)
The City of Malibu, California (USA) began enforcing a ban on the use, distribution,and sale of single-use plastic straws, stirrers, and cutlery from retails stores andrestaurants on June 1, 2018.

54 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Figure 9 | Bans on Specific Products
Plastic packaging
Rigid plastic foam
Plastic banners
Ad flyers with plastic coating
Takeout food packaging
Cotton swabs
Plastic plates, cups, cutlery or
stirrers Plastic Straws
Plastic bottles or beveragecontainers 0Market-based Instruments

Key Single Use
Plastics Findings#4: Twenty-nine(29) countries haveenacted some
type of tax on
single-use plastics,
either as a special
environmental tax,
waste disposal feesor charges, or in theform of higher excise
taxes for single-use
plastics.

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Taxes on Manufacturers or
Producers, Importers, andRetailersTwenty-nine (29) countries haveenacted some type of tax on singleuse plastics, either as a special
environmental tax, waste disposal
fees or charges, or in the form of
higher excise taxes for single-use
plastics. The taxes are aimed at
reducing single-use plastics as acategory of waste, managing plastic
waste or increasing the rate of
postconsumer recovery or recycling,or other environmental and circular
economy initiatives. In terms ofregional distribution, Europe has
17 countries that tax single-use
plastics, more than any otherregion. Five (5) countries in Latin
America and the Caribbean, four (4)in Africa, and three (3) in Asia andthe Pacific, impose some form oftax. The research shows that two(2) regions, West Asia and North
America, do not have national orfederal tax regulations concerning
single-use plastics. Table 25
shows the regional distribution andtypes of tax measures on single-use
plastics.
United Nations Environment Programme | 55

Table 25: Types of taxation on single-use plastics
RegionCountry

Tax Regulation

AfricaBenin

Eco-taxes on disposable plastic packaging (Ecotax under the Finance Act).

LesothoEnvironmental levy on articles for the conveyance or packing of goods, plastic stoppers,
caps, lids, and other closures of plastics manufactured or imported into the country(Schedule to the Customs and Excise Act).

MoroccoEcotax on the sale and importation of end products made of plastic (Eco-tax based on
the Framework Law on the Environment and Sustainable Development).

Tunisia

Ecotax on any plastic product manufactured or imported into the country (Ecotaxes,
Finance Law).

India

Excise tax at higher rates for plastic packaging and single-use products includingtableware and kitchenware (compared to glass, wood and tin packaging) (Goods andServices Tax Act).

Marshall Is.

Deposit beverage container fee on each deposit beverage container manufactured orimported into the country (Styrofoam cups and plates and Plastic Products Prohibition
and Container Deposit Amendment Act).

Palau

Deposit beverage container fee on distributors (manufacturers and importers) of filleddeposit beverage containers (The Palau Recycling Act).

Albania

Excise tax for plastic packaging at higher rates than glass and other packaging (National
Tax Law).

Bulgaria

Product fee for packaging materials, including articles for one-time use such as cups,
buckets, etc., used for packaging goods at point of sale, subject to exemption for
producers participating in a collective system of waste recovery, reuse and recycling, orindividually fulfilling those obligations in the manner prescribed by regulations (Waste
Management Act).

Croatia

Refund fee to be paid by producers that place packed drinks on the market, to be used
for taking back used beverage packaging, and waste management fee to cover collection
and processing of waste packaging (Regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste).

Denmark

Levy on certain packaging, including beverage packaging and disposable tableware (The
Packaging Tax Act).

Estonia

Packaging excise duty for plastic packages (The Packaging Excise Duty Act).

Finland

Excise duty on retail containers of alcoholic beverages and soft drinks, with exemption
for containers that are included in a deposit-based return system and which can be
refilled or used for raw material recovery (Act on Excise Duty on Certain BeverageContainers).

Hungary

Environmental product fee for packaging materials marketed in the country (Act on theEnvironmental Product Fee).

IsraelPlastic beverage container deposit for each marked beverage container containing adrink and marketed in the country; provided that, failure to meet annual collection targets
for used beverage containers will pay double the deposit fee for the difference (Deposit
on Beverage Containers Law).

Italy

Environmental contribution towards waste collection, recovery, reuse and recycling,based on the total quantity, weight and type of packaging placed on the national market,
including disposable packaging designed or intended to be filled at the point of sale
(Environmental Code).

LatviaTax on the packaging of goods and products and disposable tableware and accessories;
with exemption granted to taxpayers that have with established and applies a used
packaging or disposable tableware and accessories management system in accordancewith relevant regulations (Natural Resources Tax Law).

Lithuania

Pollution tax for products and/or packaging waste (Law on Pollution Tax).

The former
Yugoslav Republicof Macedonia

Fees or compensation for managing packaging waste for goods manufacture andimported, including primary packaging such as single-use plates and cups, and plastic
bottles (Law for Packaging and Packaging Waste Management).

Asia & Pacific

Europe56 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

LAC

Montenegro

Special fee for placing in the market manufactured or imported packed goods (higher
rate for goods made non-biodegradable materials) and deposit beverage container fee
on each beverage container manufactured or imported into the country (Regulation
on Detailed Criteria, Amount, and Manner of Payment of Special Fees for Waste
Management).

NorwayEnvironmental tax on manufacturers and importers of recyclable bottles in PET
plastic. The tax is in addition to basic tax imposed on recyclable bottles or cans. The
environmental tax decreases in line with the return rate (i.e., number of bottles collectedindividually or as a group under EPR), starting with a 25% return rate. At a 95% return rate,
the environmental tax will cease completely (Environmental Tax under excise tax laws).

Republic ofMoldova

Environmental pollution levy for goods that during their use pollute the environment,
including primary plastic packaging containing products manufactured or imported into
the country (Law on Payment for Environmental Pollution).

Slovenia

Environmental tax on manufacturers for packaging that is designed and intended to be
filled at the place of retail (single-use plates and cups), with exemption for packaging put
on the market below 15000 kg annually (Decree on Environmental Tax on the Generationof Packaging Waste).

Uzbekistan

Environmental fee on manufactured and imported goods and packaging disposed ofafter loss of consumer properties (Resolution on Measures to Further Improve andDevelop the Sanitation System).

Antigua & Barbuda Environmental levy on plastic beverage containers for aerated, carbonated and noncarbonated drinks, whether filled or empty, manufactured, imported or used in the
country (Environmental Protection Levy Act, 2002).
Jamaica

Environmental protection levy on plastic goods manufactured or imported into thecountry (Environmental Protection Levy Order)

St Kitts & Nevis

Deposit levy on all aerated beverages bottled in non-returnable bottles manufactured
or imported, subject to refund on re-export or used bottles or other acceptable disposal
arrangements (Trade (Bottles and Cans Deposit Levy) Act).

St Vincent & the
Grenadines

Deposit levy on beverages bottled in non-returnable bottles, subject to refund on reexport or used bottles or other acceptable disposal arrangements (Environmental Levy
Act).

UruguayTax on containers for bottling beverages (Value-added tax on PET PACK Manufacturers
and Importers).

Regulation of Single-use
Plastic Disposal
Regulation of the disposal of single
use plastic items includes extended
producer responsibility, depositrefund schemes, and recycling
mandates. Each approach is
discussed below.

Extended Producer
Responsibility
Sixty-three (63) countries haveextended producer responsibility(EPR) mandates for single-use
plastics. These 63 countries with
EPR represent about 33 percent of
the 192 countries reviewed for thisreport. Europe has the strongest
uptake of EPR as a regulatory

Key Single Use
Plastics Findings#5: Sixty-three(63) countries
have enacted
Extended Producer
Responsibility (EPR)
measures, such as
product-take backschemes, depositrefund, and waste
collection andtakeback guarantees.

measure with 38 countries, followedby nine (9) countries in the Asia
Pacific region, nine (9) countries in
Latin America and the Caribbean,
and seven (7) countries Africa.
No federal or nationally-mandated
EPR were found in West Asia andNorth America, although somecountries in these regions, as wellas the other regions, may havesub-national regulations or industrybased voluntary initiatives instead.
Other countries, such as South
Africa, New Zealand, Malaysia, andVanuatu, allow for the imposition of
EPR in the legislation but no specificrules have been imposed. Map #8
shows the geographic profile of EPR
regulations.

United Nations Environment Programme | 57

MAP 8 | Single-Use Plastics: Global Overview Of Countries With Extended Producer
Responsibility On Disposable Or Single-Use Plastics.

Single Use
No DataCountries no extended producer responsibility (EPR) or recycling mandates that include single-use plastic items
Countries with recycling mandates that include single-use plastic items but no EPRCountries with EPR for the return, collection, or disposal of single-use plastic items

The EPR mandates mainly target
post-use of plastic packaging andother single-use items, subject
to some variation in specificobligations from country to country.
Many countries extend the EPR
obligations to both producers andretailers or distributors, but there
are a few countries that impose

the responsibility primarily to the
distributor or retailer, for example,
Barbados. The establishment of
EPR mandates by many European
countries is in response to the
EU Directives on Packaging andPackaging Waste (Directive 94/62/
EC and Directive (EU) 2015/720),
which require member states to set

up systems for return, collection,
recovery, including recycling, of
packaging and packaging waste.29
Table 26 shows the regional
disaggregation of countries with
EPR regulations and Table 27
gives examples of the types ofregulations.

58 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Table 26: Regional distribution of countries with Extended Producer Responsibility
AfricaAsia & the Pacific

Europe

LAC

Mali

Fiji

Austria

BelizeMauritius

India

Belgium

Bolivia (Plurinational State of)

MoroccoIndonesia

Bulgaria

BrazilSenegal

Republic of Korea

EstoniaParaguay

Zimbabwe

Australia

Finland

St Kitts & Nevis

Togo

BhutanGeorgia

St Vincent & the Grenadines

TunisiaJapan

Germany

Uruguay

Palau

Hungary

Venezuela, Bolivarian RepublicofMarshall Islands

IsraelBarbados

Italy
Lithuania
Luxembourg
The former Yugoslav Republicof Macedonia
Malta
Republic of Moldova
Montenegro
Netherlands
Romania
NorwaySerbiaSlovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Switzerland
UkraineCroatia
Bosnia & Herzegovina
CyprusSwedenPortugal
FrancePolandIrelandUnited Kingdom
LatviaCzech Republic
GreeceTurkeyUnited Nations Environment Programme | 59

Table 27: Examples of EPR rules from different countries
Country

EPR Rules

Austria

Participate in an approved collection and recycling system for household packaging; take back the commercial
packaging put into circulation by them free of charge, if these are not demonstrably delivered directly to large
accumulation points; retailers to participate in collection and recycling systems unless shown that an upstream
obligor (manufacturer, importer, or distributor) is participating

Belgium

Responsibility to take back packaging 300kg or greater (annually) placed on the market, which may be contracted
out to a public or private contractor

BelizeObligation to institute deposit-refund or take-back scheme for empty beverage containers

Bolivia(Plurinational
State of)

Establish environmental management plans and mechanisms for prevention management of the waste generated
by activities; assist in the implementation of public programs for the use of waste, including the conditioning,
separation, storage, delivery and collection of waste

BrazilResponsibility to collect end-of-life packaging; implement sectoral agreement to reduce 22% of packaging waste
being sent to landfills by 2017

Bulgaria

Responsibility for separate collection and treatment of waste, either individually or as part of a collective scheme;
duty to fulfill targets for separate collection, re-use, recycling and/or recovery of waste as prescribed by ordinance

Estonia

Obligation to accept the return of sales packaging and sales packaging waste of the sold goods free of charge, toinstitute a deposit-refund system for beverage containers, and to pay for the collection and transport of packaging
disposed as municipal waste

Fiji

Requirement of permit to manufacture or import plastic bottles, conditioned upon adoption of collection andrecycling system, including the establishment of bottle collection centers, individually or jointly with others,
deposit-refund schemes, and waste disposal systems, with adequate training of staff

Finland

Organize waste management of products released in the market and cover associated costs, including creation of
packaging waste reception points

Georgia

Ensure the separate collection, transport, recovery (including recycling) and environmentally sound disposalof waste generated by products; design the product in a way that ensures reduction of negative environmental
impacts and waste generation

Germany

Duty to ensure the comprehensive take-back of transport, grouped, and sales packaging, including mandatory
participation in collective waste disposal systems (dual disposal system) for sales packaging waste collection,
recovery and recycling; mandatory deposit-refund scheme for disposable beverage bottles, including PET bottles

Hungary

Obligation to accept, collect and recycle separated packaging waste; retailer can enter into agreement withproducer to accept packaging waste from end-users and transfer to producers; retailers with shops with an area of
500 sq.m. or more must accept packaging waste from end users.

Indonesia

Duty to recycle waste by instituting a recycling program as part of its business and activities, using production raw
materials that can be recycled, and pull back waste from products and product packaging for recycling

Mauritius

Permit required for bottling activities, conditioned upon putting in place a collection system, which can be througha third party, including specific measures for recycling a certain quantity of PET bottles; duty to submit an annual
return describing the number of PET bottles produced, collected, recycled and exported

Netherlands

Duty to ensure separate intake or collection and subsequent separation of packaging placed on the market, andcover the costs thereof

NorwayDuty to be a member of a producer responsibility organization by producers placing on the market at least 1000 kg
per year of specific packaging, and as member to contribute funds for the collection, sorting, recycling and othertreatment of plastic packaging waste.

Senegal

Plastics operators are required to offer households and other users a system for the collection or recovery ofplastic waste for recovery, recycling or disposal; duty to reduce the amount of plastic waste that result from
activities or production processes and developing waste recovery activities

Spain

Obligation to institute deposit-refund or take back scheme, but only for those containers the producer or trader
placed or would have placed on the market

Switzerland

Obligation to institute deposit-refund or take back scheme for non-refillable PVC containers and pass them on torecycling at own cost, which can be done through private contractor

Uruguay

Producers obligated to introduce an environmental variable in the design of the packaging of its products andcreate packaging waste management plans that include the detail, the form and other conditions under whichmake the return, the collection, the transport, the transitory deposit and the valuation of the residues of packaging
and the final destination of non-recoverable materials, the processes of social inclusion and the mechanisms ofregistration and control necessary to verify the results of the plan

Barbados

Distributors and dealers of beverages in containers may not operate without a system of recycling of beveragecontainers in place

60 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Deposit-refund Schemes
Twenty-three (23) countries,
representing about 12 percent of
the 192 countries reviewed haverequirements for taking back ofsingle-use plastic products throughdeposit-refund schemes. Europe

leads the way with 15 countries,
whereas the Asia-Pacific region
has five (5) countries, and in Latin
America and the Caribbean has
three (3) countries. The otherregions are not represented.
Deposit-refund scheme is a typeof EPR, but not all countries with

EPR mandates require it. The mostcommon single-use plastic subjectof deposit-refund schemes arebeverage bottles. Table 28 shows
regional disaggregation with brief
description of deposit-refund
schemes.

Table 28: Countries with Mandated Deposit-Refund Schemes
RegionCountry

Deposit-Refund Scheme

Asia & Pacific

Barbados

Dealers and sellers of beverages in bottles, including plastic bottles, shall take backempty beverage containers of the design, shape, size, color, composition and brandsold by the dealer, and pay to the redeemer the refund value. (Returnable Containers
Act)

Fiji

Plastic bottle permits holders obligated, in conjunction with the government authority,
to establish a system of cash payments for the return of bottles for recycling, includingcollection centers. (Environment Management (Waste Disposal and Recycling)
Regulations)

Kiribati

Minister may provide for classes of materials for recovery in respect of which thedeposits are to be levied. Deposit scheme promulgated for bottles. (Special Fund
(Waste Material Recovery) Act & Regulations and Orders: Deposits and Fees)

Marshall Islands

Redemption centers at which empty beverage containers may be returned andpayment received will be established (applies to Styrofoam cups, plates and plastic
products). (Styrofoam cups and plates and Plastic Products Prohibition and Container
Deposit Amendment Act)

Palau

Recycling Program established whereby a $0.10 deposit fee is charged on each
imported plastic, glass, or metal container, with $0.05 redeemable by consumers upon
return of empty container to designated depots for recycling, and the remaining $0.05
will be used to cover the costs of the recycling program. (The Palau Recycling Act)

Austria

Compulsory deposit of € 0.29 for refillable plastic beverage containers (Ordinance on
Taking Back and Deposit Payments for Refillable Plastic Beverage Containers)

Croatia

Producers who place on the market packed drinks in must pay a Refund Fee to thegovernment. The producer shall refund the amount of the refund fee from the buyer,
and the final customer or consumer shall be entitled to a refund of the amount fromthe seller or the person managing the recycling yard by returning the waste beverage
packaging. (Regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste)

Denmark

Producers, bottlers and importers of beverage containers, including plastic bottles,
must sign up with Dansk Retursystem A/S (DR A/S, non-profit that administers thedeposit-refund system). Producers and importers shall charge retailers deposit fees,
which they remit to DR A/S. Used beverage containers returned to the retailer, either
through reverse vending machines or manually, are transported to counting centers of
DR A/S and the retailer receives a refund. (Bottle Bill)

Estonia

Deposit scheme for reusable and non-reusable beverage packaging (low-ethanol
content alcoholic beverages, cider, perry, & soft drinks) and plastic packaging, amountset by regulation by not less than 0.03 euros. Deposit to be returned to the customer
or end-user upon delivery of empty or used packaging to the place of sale of goods orother place in close proximity as indicated. (Waste Act)

FinlandBeverage producers and importers that belong to the deposit-refund program are
exempted from the excise tax on beverage containers; provided that they also meetmandatory recycling targets (Excise Tax on one-way beer and soft-drinks containers
and Waste Management Act)

EuropeUnited Nations Environment Programme | 61

Latin America
and theCaribbean

Germany

Distributors who place beverages in disposable beverage containers with a volumeof 0.1 liter to 3 liters on the market are required to collect from customers adeposit of at least 0.25 euros, including VAT per package, and must participate ina nationwide deposit scheme allowing system participants to claims for refund
upon return pf the packaging. When selling from vending machines, the distributor
has to ensure the return and reimbursement through appropriate return options
within reasonable distance to the vending machines. (Packaging Ordinance/
VerpackV)

IcelandNational deposit-refund system for beverage containers is administered by
Endurvinnslan hf. (Recycling Ltd), a company established by law and operates inaccordance with regulations. (Law no. 52/1989 and Regulation 368/2000)

Israel

Producer and importers must collect, with reasonable frequency, empty labeled
beverage containers purchased from them by a business and to pay the deposit fees
for them; mandated annual targets for collection of empty beverage containers, at a
rate of at least 55 percent of the total large beverage containers that were marketedthat year. (Deposit on Beverage Containers Law)

Lithuania

Producers and importers of products in packaging covered by a deposit system
must collect a deposit which is refunded to the seller when the packaging is returned.
Sellers, upon sale of products in packaging covered by a deposit system must collecta deposit which is refunded to consumers and users of products when the packaging
is returned.
Reused packaging may be refused by the seller and the deposit notrefunded in cases of damage or contamination to an extent that it can no longer be put
to another use. (The Law on Packaging and Packaging Waste)

Montenegro

Beverage distributors must a deposit beverage container fee on each beveragecontainer manufactured or imported into the country. The fee shall be $0.10 per
beverage container. The Minister shall establish redemption centers where consumers
may return empty beverage containers to redeem $0.05 per container. The Ministershall then sell beverage containers for recycling at market prices. (Waste Management
Law)

Netherlands

Deposit system for PET bottles larger than 0.5L, beer bottles and beer crates are
subject to a deposit to be refunded by producers, retailers when empty bottles are
returned correctly. (Packaging Management Decree)

NorwayPoints of sale of beverages in packaging that is incorporated in a deposit scheme(plastic bottles) have a duty to accept reasonable quantities of empty packaging
that they themselves retail. Upon delivery of the packaging to the points of sale,the consumer can claim a cash refund of the deposit. (Regulations relating to the
Recycling of Waste)

SwedenProducers and importers of beverages must be registered with an approved returnsystem in order to sell to the Swedish market. (Regulation SFS 2005: 220) on returnsystems for plastic bottles and metal cans)

Switzerland

Dealers, manufacturers, and importers who supply beverages in non-refillable PVC
containers to consumers must charge a deposit, take back empty containers, refund
the deposit to consumers, and at their own expense pass the containers on forrecycling. (Ordinance on Beverage Containers)

Romania

Economic operators marketing packaged products in reusable primary packaging
shall be obliged to receive the reusable packaging at the exchange or to repay, at theconsumer’s request, the value of the deposit (Law on the Management of Packaging
and Packaging-Generated Waste)

BelizeDistributors and dealers must collect a deposit on beverage containers at the time ofsale or distribution, and upon proof of purchase accept at the place of business from aredeemer, any empty beverage containers and refund its value. (Returnable Containers
Act)

Uruguay

Merchants, retail shops, and other intermediaries in the chain of distribution andmarketing of packaged products are obliged to receive and accept the return of the
packaging of products they have placed on the market. (Law for Packaging Recycling)

Venezuela,
Bolivarian Republicof

Manufacturers, distributors and importers of goods or consumer products thatgenerate solid waste must have return programs for the recovery of their waste,
including the mechanisms of return or deposit refund. (Law of Integral Management of
Garbage)62 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Key Single Use
Plastics Findings#6: The mostcommon legal
measures forpost-consumer
use disposal forsingle use plastics
are recycling
requirements
and solid waste
management
laws which may
implicitly include
single-use plastics
under household orcommercial waste or
explicitly set targets
for plastics.

Recycling Mandates
Fifty-one (51) countries were
found to have explicit regulatory
mandates regarding recycling
beyond general policy objectives.
The regulations vary, with mostcountries’ regulations limited
to general requirements and/or
targets for plastics recycling, whileother countries require recycling
as a component of EPR. Of the
51 countries with some type ofrecycling mandate, 26 countries
include specific recycling targets.
Nine (9) countries provided fiscal
incentives to promote recycling
activities. Palau enacted a national
recycling program in which
the government administers abeverage container deposit-refund
scheme. Panama requires public
institutions to sort their waste andundertake recycling schemes forplastic bottles and other types ofcontainers. In terms of regional
distribution, 29 countries in Europe

have instituted national recycling
mandates and objectives of some
type, more than any other region.
This is followed by Africa witheight (8) countries, the Asia Pacificregion with seven (7) countries andLatin America and the Caribbean
also with seven (7) countries. As
with EPR, the adoption of recycling
mandates by most European
countries is in compliance with
the EU Directives on Packaging
and Packaging Waste, which
stipulates recycling as an integral
component of packaging andpackaging waste recovery.30 Figure
13 below represents the numberof countries and type of recycling
regulation. Table 29 shows theregional disaggregation and type of
regulation, while Table 30 provides
examples of regulations. Table 31
describes the fiscal incentives of
the countries that have instituted
them.

Figure 1 | Number of Countries per type of recycling regulation

51

26
9

Mandated

With Targets

With Fiscal Incentives

United Nations Environment Programme | 63

Table 29: Regional Distribution of Countries with Recycling Mandates
RegionCountry

Required

AfricaCameroon

✔

CAR

✔

Ethiopia

✔

Mali

✔

Mauritius✔

Morocco✔

Tunisia✔

Zimbabwe

✔

✔

Fiji

✔

✔

India

✔

✔

Indonesia✔

Republic of Korea✔

Malaysia

✔

Palau

✔

Philippines✔

Bolivia (Plurinational State of)✔

Brazil✔

Barbados

✔

Cuba

✔

Panama✔

Peru✔

Uruguay✔

✔

Albania✔

✔

Austria✔

Bosnia & Herzegovina✔

✔

Bulgaria✔

✔

Croatia✔

✔

Cyprus✔

✔

Denmark✔

Estonia✔

Finland✔

Georgia✔

Germany✔

✔

Greece✔

✔

✔

Iceland✔

✔

✔

Israel✔

✔

Ireland

✔

✔

Italy

✔

✔

Liechtenstein✔

Lithuania✔

Luxembourg✔

The former Yugoslav Republicof Macedonia

✔

✔

Malta

✔

✔

Asia & Pacific

LAC

EuropeTargets

Fiscal Incentives

✔

✔
✔

✔

✔

✔

✔
✔

✔

64 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations✔

Montenegro✔

Netherlands✔

✔

Norway✔

✔

Republic of Moldova✔

✔

Serbia✔

Slovakia

✔

Spain

✔

Switzerland

✔

✔

✔

Table 30: Examples of Country Narrative of Recycling Mandates
RegionCountry

Recycling Mandate

AfricaMali“Any producer and distributor who markets or uses in its activities plastics or other nonbiodegradable packaging, and any responsible person for first time on the market, if the
producer and the distributor are unknown, is obliged to proceed the recovery of its plastics
and packaging used for recycling.”

Zimbabwe“Any person who- (a) uses polystyrene in packaging to protect goods from damage duringtransportation or storage; (b) uses polystyrene in construction, shall take responsibility forrecycling any polystyrene packaging material they manufacture and sell.”Fiji“A facility that imports or manufactures plastic bottles must send returns to the Departmentof Environment of all import, manufacture, distribution, return and disposal of bottles.
Returns must be in writing and sent every 6 months from the issue of the permit. xxx
Failure to send a return by the due date is an offence under section 44 of the Act and canlead to suspension of the permit.

India“Responsibility of producers, Importers and Brand Owners. - xxx (3) manufacture and use of
non-recyclable multilayered plastic if any should be phased out in two years’ time.”

Cyprus“Until 2020 the following objectives should be met: (a) regarding preparation for the reuse
and recycling of waste, household waste consisting of paper, metal, plastic and glass waste
and potentially of waste of other [i.e. non-household] origin, the increase of these activities[i.e. preparation for reuse/recycling] with a view to encompassing at a minimum 50% of
their total weight.”

Israel“A manufacturer and importer shall collect empty beverage containers marked at an
average annual rate of the total beverage containers marketed in each two-year period,
not less than 77 percent, provided that the percentage of the beverage containers to becollected from the total beverage containers marketed each year will not fall below 73
percent; xxx Each year, a manufacturer and importer will collect large empty beveragecontainers at a rate of at least 55 percent of the total large beverage containers that weremarketed that year.”

Lithuania“Producers and importers must take the necessary measures to ensure that empty
transport, grouped and sales packaging as well as its waste are managed xxx and thattargets for collection, recycling and reuse of packaging and packaging waste set by theGovernment or an institution authorized by it are attained. xxx Producers and importers
who do not meet the objectives provided xxx relating to collection, recycling and reuse of
packaging and packaging waste, must, pursuant to the law, pay a tax for pollution of theenvironment with product waste.”

Malta“Producers or third parties acting on their behalf shall, with respect to packaging waste
arising from their activities, using existing systems or set up systems, individually orcollectively, or both, in accordance with any existing laws and regulations, to provide for: (a)the return and, or collection of used packaging and, or packaging waste from the consumer,
other final user, or from the waste stream in order to channel it to the most appropriate
waste management alternatives, ensuring that these systems are open to all economic
operators (b) the reuse or recovery including recycling of the packaging and, or packaging
waste collected (c) the use of materials obtained from recycled packaging waste for the
manufacturing of packaging and other products”

Asia & Pacific

EuropeUnited Nations Environment Programme | 65

LAC

Netherlands“The producer or importer shall take care of the separate intake or the collection andsubsequent separation of packaging he places on the market in the Netherlands and of
the packaging he has imported, xxx. The costs of separate collection or the collection
and subsequent separation of packaging are at the expense of the producer or importer.
Xxx The producer or importer shall ensure that at least 75% by weight of the total of the
packaging placed on the market by him in the Netherlands during the calendar year andof the packaging he has imported in that calendar year is at least 75% applied and 70% by
weight is recycled.”

Norway“Producer responsibility organizations shall arrange for the following: a) the collection of
packaging waste from the business sector and municipalities; b) the reception of packaging
waste from companies that collect it, provided that the packaging waste has been sorted,
stored and transported onwards in an appropriate way, xxx; c) the collection and receptionof a reasonable quantity of the type of packaging their member companies have placedon the Norwegian market when it ends up as household and industrial waste; d) recyclingof at least 30% of plastic packaging with the exception of expanded polystyrene, 50% of
expanded polystyrene, xxx that their members have placed on the Norwegian market. xxx”

Serbia“The manufacturer, importer, packer / filler and supplier shall be obliged for the packaging
put into circulation: 1) to ensure that the utility company regularly takes over the municipal
packaging waste; 2) to regularly take over and collect packaging waste which is notmunicipal waste from end-users; 3) to provide reuse, recycling or disposal in accordancewith the law.”

Bolivia(Plurinational
State of)“Any recyclable container or packaging that is produced must be identified with thecorresponding recycling symbol and coding, under technical standards issued by the
Ministry head of the sector.” Xxx Recovery and commercialization of waste - The waste thatis recovered for its use must be incorporated into the recycling chain.”PanamaLaw No. 6 of February 6th, 2018 “Which establishes integrated waste management in public
institutions” orders public institutions to sort their waste and undertake recycling schemes
for paper, plastic bottles, Tetrapak containers and aluminum cans.

Table 31: Countries with Fiscal Incentives for Single-Use Plastics Recycling
RegionCountry

Fiscal Incentive

Asia & Pacific

Malaysia

Manufacture of biodegradable disposable packaging and household wares andwaste recycling activities are listed as promoted products and activities under the
Promotion of Investments Act which are eligible for pioneer status and investment
tax allowance.

EuropeAlbania

Under the amendments to the Law on National Taxes, effective January 1, 2017,
the tax on plastic packaging for domestically produced and domestically recycled
packages is reduced from 50 ALL/kg to 1 ALL/kg.

Estonia

Exemption from excise duty imposed under the Packaging Excise Duty Act grantedwith respect to packaging for which a deposit has been established under the
Packaging Act, and from which xxx at least 85 per cent of each class of packaging
material is recovered as of 1 January 2012.

Finland

Exemption from excise duty under the Act on Excise Duty on Certain BeverageContainers for containers which are included in deposit-based, functional returnsystem and which can be refilled or used for the recovery of raw material.

GreeceUnder the Packaging and Alternative Management of Packaging Waste and Other
Products, manufacturers and importers who carry out alternative management of
packaging and other products, in compliance with the targets, the demands andthe general principles of the present law, will be offered incentives.

IcelandThe Iceland Recycling Fund, a state-owned agency under the Ministry ofEnvironment, applies economic incentives to establish practical arrangements forprocessing waste.

Lithuania

Manufacturers and importers are exempted from environmental pollution tax under
the Law on Pollution Tax for products and (or) packaging waste for the quantity of
products and/or packaging which meets the proportion of the use and/or recyclingof waste products and/or packaging identified by the Government. To benefit fromthe tax relief, documentation must be provided in accordance with establishedprocedures, confirming the amount of recovered or used for energy production.

66 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Montenegro

Special (lower) fee paid by the manufacturer or importer who places biodegradable
products or packed goods in circulation. Under the Waste Management Law, theload unit for xxx plastics made of other materials that are not biodegradable is 10(number JO / kg), and for plastics that are biodegradable the load unit is 1.

NorwayUnder tax regulations, an environmental tax is imposed on plastic PET bottles, set
at NOK 3.44 for recyclable bottles. The environmental tax lessens in line with thereturn rate, starting with a 25 percent return rate. At a 95 percent return rate, theenvironmental tax cease completely.”

Table 32: Types of recycling mandates, both specific to single-use plastics or general mandates
that implicitly include single-use plastics as solid waste.
Country

TargetLaw

Bosnia and Herzegovina

No new targets for theFederation of Bosnia andHerzegovina. For Republika
Srpska, there is a 20% target for2018 onwards for packaging
waste

Law on Waste Management in Republika Srpska(Official gazette of RS 111/13, 106/15, 16/18),
Article 63g Rulebook for package and package
waste management;

Bulgaria

50% of all household waste byweight is reused or recycled by
January 1, 2020

Waste Management Act, 2012

Cyprus50% (all recyclables) to berecycled or reused by 2020

Law 185(I)/2011 On Waste, Article 13(4)(a)Estonia

50% of all recyclable wastefrom non-agricultural and nonforestry sources recycled orreused by January 1, 2020

Waste Act (2004) subsection 120

Germany

65% of total weight of allrecyclables is diverted torecycling by 20202009 Packaging Ordinance

Greece78% of plastic packaging waste
by 2020 should be recycled and
65% of total weight of waste
recycled by 2020

JMD 180036/252/207, Article 7 paragraphs 2,
2.1, Cabinet Act No. 49 of 15 December 2015
On modifying and adopting the National Plan for
Waste Management and the National Plan for thePrevention of Waste Creation, Strategy No. 3., page9209, table 14

India

9. Responsibility of producers,
Importers and Brand Owners.... (3) manufacture and use ofnon- recyclable multilayered
plastic if any should be phased
out in Two years’ time.

Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016

Ireland

50% by weight of household
paper, metal, plastic, and glassby 2020 to be recycled.

EU Waste Framework Directive; Waste
Management Act 1996, European Communities
Waste Directive Regulations 2011

IsraelManufacturers must collectat least 73% of beveragecontainers up to 1.5 L and 55%
of containers above 1.5L andrecycle at least 90% of them

Deposit on beverage containers law, 1999, Article 7+ 7A + 7E(A)Italy

50% of household waste(including, but not exclusive toplastic) reused or recycled by2020

Law n. 205/2017, Art. 181, Section 1.

Lithuania

Min of 55% and max of 80% of
plastic packaging waste to berecycled by 2020

Law on Management of Packaging and Packaging
Waste 2001 and 2014-2020 National Waste
Management Plan

United Nations Environment Programme | 67

The former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia

A minimum target of 55% toa maximum of 80% of plastic
packaging must be recycled by
2020

Law for packaging and packaging waste
management (Official Gazette No. 161/2009,17/2011, 47/2011)

Malta

55-80% by weight of all waste
recycled by 2020 and at least
22.5% of plastics

Waste Management (Packaging and Packaging
Waste) Regulations 2007

Morocco20% recycling rate (allrecyclable materials) by 2020

Law No. 1-06-153 of 22 November 2006 (30chaoual 1427) promulgating Law No. 28-00 on the
management of waste and its disposal.

Netherlands

50% of plastic packaging
to be recycled by 2020 andincreasing 1% a year following

Decision on Packaging Management, 2014

Peru

Public sector entities must use Supreme Decree 011-2010-MINAM; Ministerial
plastics with a minimum of 80% Resolution 021-2011-MINAM
recycled content

Republic of Korea

Mandatory Recycling Ratio
applied to manufacturers,
ranging from 0.442 (singlematerial polystyrene paper) to
0.830 (PET complex materials).
Recycling due is 30/100 of thesum of expenses to be incurredin recycling non-recycled
wastes out of the mandatory
recycling quantity.

Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling ofResources;

Republic of Moldova

30% (total target inclusive ofglass, paper, plastics, metals)
by 2020

Law on Waste #209 from 29.06.2016. Art.14 para.
(1) b)

Slovakia

At least 45% by weight ofplastic packaging must be
recycled

The Waste Act No. 79/2015

68 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Box 3: Examples of proposed legislation to restrict single-use plastics
Some countries with recent announcements of proposed legislation on single-use plastics
A number of countries have enacted policies and proposed new legislation to regulate single-use plastics. These include-Europe•

Portugal – several bills calling for the ban on disposable plastic tableware (plates, cups, cutlery and straws) in restaurants
and shops are pending in Parliament. The bills were proposed respectively by the Green Party (PEV), the People, Animals andNature Party (PAN), the Left Bloc (BE), and the Communist Party (PCP). Opposition party PSD is calling on the government
to conduct a study on alternatives to disposable plastic tableware, carry out awareness-raising campaigns to reduce theiruse, and outline a strategy for gradual reduction31.

•

United Kingdom – the government announced a proposed new ban on plastic straws, drink stirrers, and plastic-stemmed
cotton swabs. The ban will be enacted after consultations to be conducted by the environment secretary. The government
plans to work with industry to develop alternatives and ensure sufficient time to adapt.32

Africa•Kenya – after enacting one of the most stringent plastic bag bans in the world (penalties for violation include fines of up to$38,000 (€32,000) and a jail term of up to four years), the government has promised to ban disposable plastics next33.

Asia & the Pacific•India – the government has pledged to ban all single-use plastics by 2022. The announcement was made during the World
Environment Day summit hosted by the Indian prime minister on June 5th, 2018. The announcement builds on state-specificbans on the manufacture, supply, storage and use of plastics that are already in place in at least 25 of the country’s 29
states.34•

Philippines – after being named among the top five countries that produce half of the world’s plastic waste, several highranking legislators announced plans to file bills banning or limiting the use of single-use plastics and microplastics. The
proposed bills will nationalize bans enacted by a growing number of cities and municipalities.35

Latin America and the Caribbean•

Costa Rica – on the occasion of the World Environment Day on June 5, 2017, the president announced a national strategy tophase-out all forms of single-use plastics by 2021 and replace them with alternatives that biodegrade within six months. The
ban will cover not only plastic bags and bottles, but also disposable cutlery, straws, Styrofoam and stirrers.36•

Dominica – the prime minister recently (July 2018) announced plans to prepare legislation banning single-use plastics suchas straws, plates, cutlery, and Styrofoam cups and food containers by January 2019. This follows an earlier decision to
restrict the importation of non-biodegradable containers and plastic implements used in food service.37•

Grenada - The government has pledged to table legislation banning the importation of Styrofoam and plastic as part of its
waste management strategy. The country’s health minister announced that a Styrofoam Bill which will ban the importationof Styrofoam is only the beginning, after which the government propose bills to tackle other plastics and the recycling ofproducts.38•

Saint Lucia – according to the minister of sustainable development, a Returnable Containers Bill drafted a few years ago
might be finalized soon. Meanwhile, the government is considering other measures to address the problem of improper
disposal of plastic litter. 39•

Saint Kitts and Nevis – early this year, the country’s premier and minister of finance announced that the government willseek to implement a ban on single-use plastics and Styrofoam containers, and institute an island-wide recycling program40.

United Nations Environment Programme | 69

AN OVERVIEW OF REGULATORYAPPROACHES CONTROLLINGMICROBEADSThis section provides a global overview of the progress of countries in passing laws andregulations that limit the manufacture, import, sale, use and disposal of microbead products
which end up as marine litter. A review of voluntary measures used in countries to control the
manufacture and sale of microbead products is also presented. Map #9 shows the number
countries with legally binding bans of microbeads through national laws as well as countries
with proposed bans.
Map 9 | Number of Countries with bans on Microbeads.

Microbeads
No Data
No Ban/Data Not Found
New Law Proposed
Partial Ban

This section provides a global
overview of countries that haveestablished national limits or bansof microbeads. Overall eight out of
192 countries assessed enacted
national level laws or regulations
that ban the use, sale, and/or
manufacture of microbeads inpersonal care products. These

countries are Canada, France, Italy,
Republic of Korea, New Zealand,
Sweden, the United Kingdomof Great Britain and Northern
Ireland (UK), and the United Statesof America (US). This number
suggests that most countries have
not yet taken action to eliminate
microbeads from personal careproducts through national levellaws or regulations. Figure 10
below provides an overview of thenumber of countries with nationallaws controlling microbeads while
Figure 11 provides the overview byregion. Table 33 provides the nameof the specific microbead law or
regulations in each country.

70 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Key Microbead
Finding #1: As of
July 2018, eight outof 192 countries
worldwide (4%) haveestablished legallybinding bans of
microbeads throughnational laws or
regulations.

Figure 1 | Countries that do and do not have national level laws
or regulations controlling the use of microbeads
184

8
No

n = 192

Yes

Figure 11 | Regional Distribution of Countries with and without microbead laws
Yes
54

No

50

36

33

11
2

AfricaAsia andthe Pacific4Europe2

Latin America andthe Caribbean

North America West Asian = 192

United Nations Environment Programme | 71

Table 33: Microbead Laws and Regulations
Country

Law or Regulations Name

CanadaMicrobeads in Toiletries Regulations (SOR/2017-111), June 2 2017

FranceReclaiming Biodiversity, Nature and Landscapes Act No 2016-1087 of 8, Article 124,
August 2016

Italy

General Budget Law 2018: Law no. 205 of 27, Art.1, Sections 543 to 548, December
2017

Republic of Korea

Regulations on safety standards for cosmetics [Annex 1] {No. 2017-114, Notice,
Article 3, Dec. 29, 2017,

New Zealand

Waste Minimisation (Microbeads) Regulations 2017, under section 23(1)(b) of the
Waste Minimisation Act 2008.

SwedenRegulation amending Regulation (1998: 944) prohibiting etc. in certain cases inconnection with handling, import and export of chemical products,

UK

The Environmental Protection (Microbeads) (England) Regulations 2017

England

The Environmental Protection (Microbeads) (Scotland) Regulations 2018

ScotlandThe Environmental Protection (Microbeads) (Wales) Regulations 2018

Wales

The Environmental Protection (Microbeads) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2018.

N. Ireland
US

Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015

While the focus of this report was on national laws and regulations, in some countries subnational governmental
bodies have passed laws or ordinances banning the use of microbeads in personal care products. Box 4 below
provides a description of subnational actions taken in the United States of America and Canada.

Box 4: Examples of subnational laws regulating the use and sale of microbead containing
products
Subnational laws banning the use and sale of products containing microbeads
United States of America
Illinois became the first state to enact legislation prohibiting the sale and manufacture of personal care products containing
non-biodegradable plastic microbeads in 2015. Public Act 098-0638 banned the manufacture for sale of personal care products
except over the counter drugs starting December 31, 2017. The sale of products sold as over the counter drugs that containsynthetic plastic microbeads was prohibited beginning December 31, 2018. According to the National Caucus of Environmental
Legislators, since then at least 15 states introduced legislation to ban microbeads including Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut,
Hawaii, Maryland, Main, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Under thenational Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015, states are not allowed to enact or enforce laws that restrict the manufacture orsale of personal care products containing plastic microbeads unless the state or local restrictions are the same as the federal
law.
CanadaOntario parliament passed a ban on the manufacture of microbeads in 2015 - Bill 75 Microbead Elimination and Monitoring Act,
2015. Toronto City Council and Montreal as well as the Quebec Metropolitan region have also passed motions encouraging
bans on the use of plastic microbeads in personal care products at the provincial level.

Characteristics of the
National Laws andRegulations
The laws and regulations used
to control microbeads share anumber of similarities but also
critical differences. This section
describes the approaches used indifferent laws and regulations used
to limit the manufacture, import,sale, and use of plastic microbead
products based on legal analysis. It
specifically looks at••

the definition and size of
microbead
if the law or regulation controls

the sale and/or manufactureof products containing
microbeads•

the scope of products covered
under each law or regulations•

exemptions and,•the phase-in dates forenactment.

72 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Key Microbead
Finding #2: Sevenout of eight of thecountries withlaws or regulations
controlling the use
and/or manufactureof microbeads
include only asubset of personalcare products
documented tocontain microbeads.

Definition of Microbead

Key Microbead
Finding #3: The laws
and regulations used
to control microbeads
share a numberof similarities
in definition of
microbead, producttypes covered, andthe size of microbead
controlled;
However, there
are also importantdifferences.

All of the countries with national laws or regulations banning microbeads
include a definition of microbeads. The definition bases restriction on thesize and specificity of plastic particles. In some cases, the definition also
includes the type of products or water solubility. France also includes
a reference to the process used to create the microbead - hot-shaping
process. Table 34 below provides a summary of the different microbead
definitions provided in the law or regulations for each country.

Table 34: Definitions of microbeads in national laws or
regulations
Country

Microbead Definition

Canadamicrobeads are defined in item 133 of the List of
Toxic Substances in Schedule 1 to the Canadian
Environmental Protection Act, 1999 as plastic
microbeads that are ≤ 5 mm in size

Franceany solid particle including microbeads smaller than 5
millimeters made of plastic in whole or in part, obtainedby a hot-shaping process

Italy

Microbeads (“microplastiche”) are defined as solid
plastic parcels of 5 or less millimetres

Republic of Korea

Microplastic are defined as solid plastic under 5 mm,
contained in rinse-off, scrub, and other products

New Zealand

Microbead means a water-insoluble plastic particle thatis less than 5 mm at its widest point.

Swedenplastic particles that are smaller than 5 mm in any
dimension,

UK2

N. Ireland

England“microbead” means any water-insoluble solid plastic
particle of less than or equal to 5mm in any dimension;

ScotlandWales
US“plastic microbead” is defined as any solid plastic
particle that is — 5 millimeters or less in size andintended to be used to exfoliate or cleanse the body or
any part of the body.

Prohibition of Use and Manufacture
All eight of the countries with national laws and regulations that control
microbeads, prohibit the sale of personal care products covered under thelaw. Three of these countries also prohibit the manufacturing of products
containing microbeads. In two cases, the United States of America andCanada, the law specifically prohibits the import of any toiletries that
contain microbeads. Figure 12 provides the breakdown of prohibitions
outlined in the eight countries with microbead controls. Table 35 below
summarizes the prohibitions found in country laws and regulations.

United Nations Environment Programme | 73

Figure 12 | Number of Countries with different types of
microbead prohibitions

2

Cannot sell

Type of Products Covered

3

Cannot sell or manufucture
Cannot sell manufucture or Import

3

n=8

Table 35: Type of prohibitions limiting microbeads use in 		
national laws and regulations
Country

Prohibition

Cannotmanufacture,import, or sellSpecific Description

CanadaFranceCannot sell

The introduction on the market of exfoliating andcleaning rinse-off cosmetics. Defines “introduction
on the market” as “making available for the first time
the supply of a product intended to be distributed,
consumed or used on the national territory.”

Italy

Cannot sell

forbidden to sell cosmetic rinse products withan exfoliating or detergent action containing
microplastics.

Republic of
Korea

Cannot sell or
manufactureuse of raw materials cannot be used in cosmetics
and restrictions on the use of cosmetics should bespecified

New ZealandCannot sell or
manufacture

A person must not sell a prohibited wash-off productin New Zealand. A person must not manufacture a
prohibited wash-off product in New Zealand.

SwedenCannot sell

It is prohibited to provide a cosmetic product on themarketUK3
N. Ireland
England
Scotland
Wales

Cannot sell or
manufacture

A person who, in the manufacture of any rinse-off
personal care product, uses microbeads as aningredient of that product is guilty of an offence.

US

Cannotmanufacture,import, package,or sell

A person must not manufacture or import any toiletries
that contain microbeads. A person must not sell any
toiletries that contain microbeads

A person who supplies, or offers to supply, any rinseoff personal care product containing microbeads is
guilty of an offence.
The manufacture or the introduction or delivery for
introduction into interstate commerce of a rinse-off
cosmetic that contains intentionally-added plastic
microbeads

Seven of the countries withmicrobead laws and regulations
do not cover all products known
to contain microbeads such as
household cleaning products,
makeup products that do not rinse
off, or industrial products41. New
Zealand’s law, however, includes adefinition specifically prohibiting
the sale and manufacture of washoff products that contain plastic
microbeads for the purposes of
exfoliation, cleaning, abrasive
cleaning or visual appearance of the
product. According to the websiteof the Ministry of Environment,
the intent is to capture wash-off
cosmetics and heavy-duty handcleansers as well as “abrasive
cleaning products, including
household, car or industrial cleaningproducts.42” In the case of theFrance law, Article 124 of the
microbead regulation states that
French cosmetics industrials canstill produce cosmetics containing
plastic microbeads if they werealready on the market before the 1st
January 2018.
While most of the laws andregulations focus on rinse off
cosmetics and certain exfoliating
personal care products, thescope of products covered varies
among the countries. All the laws
and regulations include rinse
off products, while only threeinclude other types of cosmetic
products. There is also a range
of descriptions used to describe
the banned products including
toiletries, rinse-off cosmetics, andsanitary aids. Some specificallymention toothpaste be includedin the product type. The specificdescription provided also varies
in specificity with some outlining

74 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

the specific human body part to becleaned with the rinse off product,
while others focus on the exfoliating
purpose of the product.

Table 36 below presents thedifferent product types covered
under each law or regulation as
well as the specific descriptionof products covered. Table 37
illustrates the countries based on
the scope of products covered

Table 36: Type of products covered under national laws and regulations limiting the use andsale of microbeads
Country

Product Type Covered

Canadatoiletries

Specific Description

FranceCosmetic and rinse-off cosmetic

A cosmetic product shall mean any substance or preparation intended to
be in contact with external parts of the human body (epidermis, hair system,
nails, lips and external genital organs) or with teeth and oral mucosa with aview exclusively or mainly to cleaning them, perfuming them, changing theirappearance, protecting them, keeping them in good condition or correcting
body odours; a rinse-off cosmetic is defined as a “product which is intended
to be removed by a water rinse immediately after use”

Italy

Rinse-off cosmetics

Products [that are] rinsing cosmetics with exfoliating or detergent containing
microplastics.

Republic of Korea

Cosmetics and sanitary aids

product types such as cosmetics (for rinse-off, scrub, etc) and sanitary aids
(gargle, toothpaste, and teeth whitening)

New Zealand

Wash-off products including heavyduty hand cleansers, abrasive
cleaning products and car orindustrial cleaning products

wash-off product for 1 or more of the following purposes:(i) exfoliation of all or part of a person’s body:(ii) cleaning of all or part of a person’s body:(iii) abrasive cleaning of any area, surface, or thing:(iv) visual appearance of the product;

Swedenrinse-off cosmetic

A cleansing, exfoliating or polishing effect in rinse-off cosmetic products.
The prohibition covers cosmetic products intended to be rinsed of or spatout after use on skin, hair, mucous membrane or teeth.

UK4
N. Ireland
England
ScotlandWales

rinse-off personal care product“rinse-off personal care product” means any substance, or mixture of
substances, manufactured for the purpose of being applied to any relevant
human body part in the course of any personal care treatment, by anapplication which entails at its completion the prompt and specific removalof the product (or any residue of the product) by washing or rinsing withwater, rather than leaving it to wear off or wash off, or be absorbed or shed,in the course of time;and for this purpose—(a)a “personal care treatment” means any process of cleaning, protecting or
perfuming a relevant human body part, maintaining or restoring its conditionor changing its appearance; and(b)a “relevant human body part” is—(i)any external part of the human body (including any part of the epidermis,
hair system, nails or lips);(ii)the teeth; or(iii)mucous membranes of the oral cavity;US

cosmetics and non-prescription(also called “over-the-counter” or“OTC”) drugs, such as toothpastes

Rinse off cosmetic intended to be used to exfoliate or cleanse the humanbody or any part thereof; the term ‘rinse-off cosmetic’ includes toothpaste

Toiletries means any personal hair, skin, teeth or mouth care products forcleansing or hygiene, including exfoliants and any of those products thatis also a natural health product as defined in the Natural Health Products
Regulations or a non-prescription drug.

United Nations Environment Programme | 75

Table 37: Type of Product covered in country national law or regulation
Rinse off Products

Cosmetics beyond rinse off

Toiletries or Sanitary Aids

CanadaFranceItaly
Republic of Korea
New ZealandSwedenUK
USFranceNew Zealand
UK

CanadaRepublic of Korea
New ZealandSwedenUK
US

Exemptions
Four countries - Canada France,
Sweden, and the United States ofAmerica include specific exemptionsin the laws and regulations limiting
the use and manufacturing of
microbeads in personal care products.
In two of these cases, France andSweden, these exemptions are forbiodegradable alternatives. In thecase of New Zealand and the US,
specific exemptions are outlined
for medicine or medical purposes.

Canada provides an exemption for
toiletries moving through the country.
And as mentioned above, in France,
French cosmetics companies can still
produce cosmetics containing plastic
microbeads if they were already on
the market before the 1st January
2018. The descriptions of exemptions
provided in country laws are provided
in Table 38 below.

Phase In Dates
Each of the eight countries withnational laws or regulations banning

Other home or industrial
uses
New Zealandmicrobeads include specific dates forwhen the ban takes effect. They range
from May 19, 2017 to January 1, 2020.
In some cases, countries extended
the time for some product types(Canada, Republic of Korea, England,
and the United States) or the sellingof products (Italy, Sweden, and theUnited States). Each of the countries
that comprise the United Kingdom
have slightly different dates for when
the regulations came or will come into
force. The specific dates are provided
in the Table 39 below.

Table 38: Type of exemption of microbead containing product in country laws and regulations
CountryType of Exemption

CanadaTransit of goods

Exemptions

toiletries in transit through Canada, from a place outside Canada to another placeoutside Canada.

FranceBiodegradable
Alternatives

natural origin particles that are not likely to remain in the environment, to spreadchemical or biological active ingredients as “solid natural origin particles for which
the time and degradation conditions are defined by an order from the Minister for theEnvironment”. It also defines the term “natural origin particles that are not likely to impact
animal food chains” as “solid natural origin particles not containing or not releasing
during their degradation in sea water classified substances, either because of a danger
for the environment, either due to a danger for human health, by an order from the
Minister for the Environment”

Italy

No Exemption

Republic of Korea

No Exemption

New Zealand

Medical

Medical device and medicine - Medical device is any device, instrument, apparatus,
appliance, or other article is intended to be used in, on, or for human beings for atherapeutic Medicine is defined as any substance or article that is manufactured,
imported, sold, or supplied wholly or principally for administering to 1 or more humanbeings for a therapeutic purpose

SwedenBiodegradable
Alternatives

The ban does not cover cosmetic products containing microbeads consisting solely ofnatural occurring polymers. The Chemicals Agency may issue regulations on exceptions
or in individual cases grant exemption from the ban.

UK5
N. Ireland
England
ScotlandWales

No Exemption

US

Medicaldrugs that are not also cosmetics

76 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Table 39: Dates when control of microbead use takes effect in countries with laws andregulations
Country

Phase in Dates

FranceEntered into Force January 1, 2018

Italy

Entered into force January 1, 2018,
Prohibition to sell begins January 1, 2020

Republic of Korea

Entered into force July 1, 2017 for cosmetics, May 19, 2017 for sanitary aids

New ZealandEntered into force June 7, 2018

SwedenEntered into force on 1 July 2018. Cosmetic products released on the market before July 1,
2018 must be phased out by the end of December 2018.

UK6
N. Ireland
England
ScotlandWales

N. Ireland - The prohibition on the manufacture and sale will come into force in September
2018.
England – The prohibition on the manufacture came into force on January 9, 2018 formanufacture, June 19, 2018 for sale
Scotland - The prohibition on the manufacture and sale came into force on July 9, 2018.
Wales - The prohibition on the manufacture and sale came into force on 30 June 2018.

USA

For rinse-off cosmetics: Prohibition to stop the manufacturing of the products was July 1,
2017. Prohibition to stop the introduction or delivery for introduction of these products into
interstate commerce was July 1, 2018.

CanadaEntered into Force January 1, 2018
Prohibition to manufacture, sell, or import applies on or after July 1, 2018
Toiletries that are also natural health products or non-prescription drug prohibition applies onor after July 1, 2019

For rinse-off cosmetics that are also non-prescription drugs: The deadline was July 1, 2018 tostop manufacturing the products described in the law. The deadline to stop the introduction ordelivery for introduction of these products into interstate commerce is July 1, 2019.

Countries with Proposed
Laws
In addition to the countries thathave passed national laws or
regulations controlling microbeads,
four countries are in the processof passing microbead bans. In thisreport, a country with a proposed
law is defined as a country where
specific efforts to implement
legislation or a binding agreement
has been made. It does not include
countries where support for aban has been announced, but nolegal action has been taken. The
countries with proposed laws
are Belgium, Brazil, India, andIreland. In addition, the European
Union has announced that theEuropean Commission has started
the process to ban intentionallyadded microplastics as part of its
Europe-wide strategy on plastics.
Descriptions of the proposed laws
are provided below.

Key Microbead
Finding #4: As
at July 2018, four
countries and the EU
have proposed newlaws or regulations
banning microbeads
at the national level.
Belgium: The Federal Minister
for Energy, the Environment andSustainable Development andrepresentatives of the Belgianand Luxembourg association
for producers and distributorsof cosmetics, cleaning andmaintenance products, adhesives,sealants, biocides and aerosols(DETIC) have prepared a Draft
Sector Agreement to support the
replacement of microplastics in
consumer products. The legallybinding agreement stipulates thatthe members of DETIC commit
to completely replace ‘plastic
microbeads’ in cosmetic rinse-off
products and oral care products in
the Belgian market by 31 December
2019. The sector agreement in
Belgium is not a law or regulation
but a sector agreement voluntaryagreed upon by the DETIC. The
agreement will be legally bindingon the Parties and is therefore
considered both a proposed law
and a voluntary agreement in thisreport.
Brazil: A draft law (PL 6528/16)
banning the use of microbeads inpersonal care products is currently
being considered in Brazil. The
law would specifically prohibit thehandling, manufacture, importationand marketing, throughout thenational territory, of toiletries,
cosmetics and perfumery
containing the intentional addition
United Nations Environment Programme | 77

of plastic microspheres. The law
defines microbeads as any solid
plastic or solid plastic particle lessthan 5 mm, used to clean, lighten,
exfoliate the body or any of its
parts. It would come into force
on the date of publication andincludes deadlines for handling andmanufacturing as well as importingand marketing.
India: The Ministry of Health, alongwith different departments of the
Bureau of Indian standards, haveplaced microbeads in a category notallowed as ingredients of various
cosmetic and other such products
including household laundry
detergent bars, synthetic detergentsfor washing woolen and silk fabrics,
synthetic detergents for industrial
purposes, and household laundry
detergent powders. However,
final notification, including any
modifications, will be publishedafter inviting comments from thepublic. Further the National Green
Tribunal (NGT) has issued many
notices to the Government of India
to comment on the issue.
Ireland: The “Prohibition of MicroPlastics Bill 2016” is currently
being considered in Ireland. If
enacted, the bill would prohibit the
manufacture, sale and import ofany cosmetic product containing
micro-plastics as a raw material.
It is currently before Dáil Éireann,the primary House of Parliament.
This bill includes personal careproducts included but not limited
to facial scrub, soap, lotion, showergel, sunscreen, make-up, deodorant
or toothpaste and defines “microplastics” as particles less than 5
millimeters in diameter.
European Union (EU): The European
Union has released a new plastics

strategy that outlines specificactions to curb microplastics
pollution. This strategy includes
starting the process to restrict theintentional addition of microplastics
to consumer and professional use
products via REACH (Registration,
Evaluation, Authorization andRestriction of Chemicals)
regulation. The European Chemical
Agency was asked to collectbackground information and review
the scientific basis for taking
regulatory action at the EU level.
The agency will review the evidence
presented and then submit a plan
for restriction proposal to the
EU Commission by mid-January
2019. Multiple member countries,
including Austria, Belgium, Sweden,
Luxembourg and the Netherlands,
have voiced support for an EU ban43.
Voluntary Measures
This section provides an overview
of the voluntary measures taken
to phase out or limit the use of
microbeads in personal careproducts. It includes actions takenin specific countries as well as
voluntary approaches used byregional government institutions
and multi-national companies.
Given the country-specific focus of
this report, it is unlikely the actions
highlighted in this section represent
all voluntary initiatives used tocontrol the use of microbeads inconsumer products. Instead, it
provides an illustrative sampling.
Although voluntary agreements
are usually not legally binding, they
are still noteworthy considering
they reduce the use and sale ofmicrobead containing products
and therefore, should contributeto the reduction of marine litter. In
addition, voluntary measures may

form the basis of binding limits inthe future. For example in three
countries, France, Sweden, and theUK, trade association and individualcompanies announced voluntary
phase out initiatives before
legislation to ban microbeads wasenacted.
Individual governments as well as
trade associations and companies
within a specific country have usedvarious approaches designed tospur the elimination of microbeads
in personal care products.
Regional governments have also
issued statements of supportand developed action plans foreliminating the use of microbeads,

Key Microbead
Finding: #5:
Governments,
companies, and civilsociety organizations
are utilizing a
range of voluntary
approaches toreduce the number of
products containing
microbeads. These
include government
and industry
agreements, industry
and company specificvoluntary phaseouts,
regional government
statements ofsupport, andecolabeling.

78 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

while civil society organizations
have also publicly provided lists ofproducts containing microbeads
to spur action. Finally someindividual multinational companies
have announced the voluntaryelimination of microbeads in theirproducts wherever they are sold.
These approaches are discussed
below.

in 16 countries. Overall the
specific voluntary approaches
that have been used to phaseout or encourage the eliminationof microbeads by individual
governments and national
companies or trade associations
include•Government and industry
sector negotiations andagreements for voluntary
phase-out action•

Individual company and/or
trade association voluntaryindustry phase-out actions

Government and Industry Voluntary
Initiatives
Voluntary measures to phaseout or eliminate microbeads incosmetic products were found•

Government statements ofsupport or plans for a phaseout or ban of microbeads•

Ecolabeling

The list of countries by voluntary
approach is provided in Table
40 below. Table 41 provides
a description of the voluntary
initiative being used in eachcountry. The number of countries
using each type of voluntary
approach is provided in Figure 13.
Figure 14 provides a breakdown by
region.

Table 40: Countries organized by different type of voluntary initiative
Government and industry sector
agreements for voluntary phaseout action

Individual company and/or tradeassociation voluntary industry
phase-out actions

Government statements ofsupport for a phase-out or banof microbeads

Ecolabeling

Australia
Belgium
Germany
Luxembourg
Netherlands

CanadaChina
Denmark
FinlandFranceSingapore
UK

FinlandFranceIceland
Ireland
Luxemburg
NorwaySwedenDenmark
Finland
Iceland
NorwaySwedenFigure 13 | Number of countries disaggregated by voluntary 		
approach to the control of microbeads

5

5

7

7

Government and industry sector agreements for voluntary phase-out action
Individual company and/or trade association voluntary industry phase-out actions
Government statements of support for a phase-out or ban of microbeads
Ecolabelingn = 16

United Nations Environment Programme | 79

Figure 14 | Voluntary measures to control microbeads
disaggregated by region

12

3
1

Asia and the Pacific

EuropeNorth America

n = 192

Table 41: Summary of the voluntary approaches taken by each country
Country
Australia

Type of Voluntary Measure

Government and industry sector
negotiations and agreements forvoluntary phase-out action

Voluntary Measure Description

The Department of the Environment and Energy is working with industry and state andterritory governments to ensure a voluntary phase-out of microbeads from rinse-off,personal care, cosmetic and cleaning products by July 2018. The phase-out focusses
on microbeads in rinse-off products, which would be reasonably capable of entering
the marine environment through normal use.
The voluntary phase out does not include a number of products known to containmicrobeads including cosmetic products that are generally wiped-off, such as makeup and lipsticks, some industrial cleaning products or medicines
In an assessment published in May 2018, government officials concluded thatindustry’s efforts to deliver a voluntary phase-out will be effective and that regulation is
not needed at this stage.44

Belgium

Government and industry sector
negotiations and agreements forvoluntary phase-out action

In the draft sector agreement outlined above members of DETIC voluntary agreed tocompletely replace ‘plastic microbeads’ in cosmetic rinse-off products and oral careproducts by 31 December 2019. The sector agreement also includes a cancelation
process where either party may cancel this Agreement with a notice period of
six months. Thus in this report Belgium’s sector agreement is considered both a
proposed law and a voluntary agreement.

CanadaIndividual company and/or tradeassociation voluntary industry
phase-out actions

The Cosmetics Alliance Canada (formally the Canadian Cosmetic Toiletry andFragrance Association) committed to a voluntary phase-out of microbead containing
toiletries on or before the federal ban went into force. The Alliance represents
manufacturers responsible for 99 per cent of the tota45l amount of plastic microbeads
used in 2014.

China

Individual company and/or tradeassociation voluntary industry
phase-out actions

Sa Sa is the first Hong Kong retail group to release a public statement and commit
to a phaseout timeline for microbeads46. In their Position on Microbeads, they statethat by 31 December 2018, all exfoliating or cleansing products sold at Sa Sa under
private labels will contain no microbeads in any of its formulation. They will also makean effort to ban any microbeads in their non-private label products as well.
products, through vendor communication, evaluation, contract and product review.

80 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Denmark

Individual company and/or tradeassociation voluntary industry
phase-out actions
Ecolabeling

The Danish cosmetics industry’s trade association, The Danish Association of
Cosmetics and Detergent Industries (SPT) has expressed support for the Cosmetics
Europe’s recommendation to avoid non-biodegradable microbeads in wash-off
cosmetic in 2020. The SPT statement mentions that the vast majority of Danish
companies have already phased out the use of microbeads, and therefore,
microbeads are only present in a very limited number of products in Danish market47.
Demark participates in the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, a voluntary official ecolabel
introduced by the Nordic Council of Ministers in 198948. The cosmetics ecolabel
criteria include limits on the use of microbeads including the prohibition of
microplastics in the product or raw material49.

FinlandIndividual company and/or tradeassociation voluntary industry
phase-out actions
Government statements ofsupport for a phase-out or ban of
microbeads
Ecolabeling

In 2017, K (Kesko) Group fulfilled its commitment and eliminated microbeads from
Pirkka cosmetic products. Microbeads were removed in 2017 from Pirkka lip balms
and shampoos and will also be removed in 2018 from all K Group detergents50. Kesko
is a Finnish company operating in the grocery, the building and technical, and the car
trade with retail stores throughout Europe.
At the June 2017 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of
Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans,seas and marine resources for sustainable development, Finland made a voluntary
government commitment to ban no later than June 2020, the placing on the market ofrinse off cosmetic products that contains plastic microbeads that are intended to be
used to exfoliate or cleanse the human body.51
Finland participates in the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, a voluntary official ecolabel
introduced by the Nordic Council of Ministers in 198952. The cosmetics ecolabel
criteria includes limits on the use of microbeads including the prohibition of
microplastics in the product or raw material.53

FranceIndividual company and/or tradeassociation voluntary industry
phase-out actions
Government statements ofsupport for a phase-out or ban of
microbeads

The French Federation of Beauty Companies (FEBEA or Fédération des Entreprisesde la Beauté ), the only trade association for manufacturers operating in France, hascommitted to removing non-biodegradable plastic particles from rinse-off products by
2018.54
At the June 2017 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of
Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans,seas and marine resources for sustainable development, France made a voluntary
government commitment to ban no later than June 2020, the placing on the market ofrinse off cosmetic products that contains plastic microbeads that are intended to be
used to exfoliate or cleanse the human body.55

Germany

Government and industry sector
negotiations and agreements forvoluntary phase-out action

The Ministry of the Environment in 2013 reached agreement with German cosmetics
industry that they voluntarily reduce the use of microplastics in personal careproducts.56

IcelandGovernment statements ofsupport for a phase-out or ban of
microbeads

At the June 2017 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of
Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans,seas and marine resources for sustainable development, Iceland made a voluntarycommitment reduce marine litter in its waters over the next three years. This includes
work to enhance knowledge of microplastics and identify measures to reduce
discharge to the marine environment.57

Ecolabeling

Iceland participates in the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, a voluntary official ecolabel
introduced by the Nordic Council of Ministers in 198958. The cosmetics ecolabel
criteria includes limits on the use of microbeads including the prohibition of
microplastics in the product or raw material.59
IrelandGovernment statements ofsupport for a phase-out or ban of
microbeads

At the June 2017 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of
Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans,seas and marine resources for sustainable development, Ireland made a voluntary
government commitment to ban no later than June 2020, the placing on the market ofrinse off cosmetic products that contains plastic microbeads that are intended to be
used to exfoliate or cleanse the human body60.

Luxembourg

Government and industry sector
negotiations and agreements forvoluntary phase-out action

At the June 2017 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of
Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas
and marine resources for sustainable development, Luxembourg made a voluntary
government commitment to ban no later than June 2020, the placing on the market ofrinse off cosmetic products that contains plastic microbeads that are intended to be
used to exfoliate or cleanse the human body.61

United Nations Environment Programme | 81

Netherlands

Government and industry sector
negotiations and agreements forvoluntary phase-out action

In 2014, a motion was adopted by the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment
calling for a binding agreement with the cosmetics branch aimed at a total phase out
by 2017 at the latest62. According to a report by the Dutch Cosmetics Association(NCV, Nederlandse Cosmetica Vereniging), the Dutch cosmetics sector has alreadystopped on a voluntary basis with the use of plastic microbeads in cosmetic
products.63

NorwayGovernment statements ofsupport for a phase-out or ban of
microbeads

The Norwegian government presented a White Paper to its Parliament in June 2017that includes a plastic strategy to reduce the release of microplastics from key
land-based sources and strengthen the clean-up efforts of plastics from along the
Norwegian coastline.64

Ecolabeling

Norway participates in the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, a voluntary official ecolabel
introduced by the Nordic Council of Ministers in 198965. The cosmetics ecolabel
criteria includes limits on the use of microbeads including the prohibition of
microplastics in the product or raw material.66

Singapore

Individual company and/or tradeassociation voluntary industry
phase-out actions

Press reports from 2016 indicate that Guardian Singapore, a health and beauty chain,
has banned microbeads from its new rinse-off cosmetics and personal care products
and all its own-brand products will be free of microbeads by the end of 2017.67

SwedenGovernment statements ofsupport for a phase-out or ban of
microbeads

At the June 2017 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of
Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas
and marine resources for sustainable development, Sweden made a voluntary
government commitment to “ban no later than June 2020, the placing on the market ofrinse off cosmetic products that contains plastic microbeads that are intended to be
used to exfoliate or cleanse the human body.”68

Ecolabeling

Sweden participates in the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, a voluntary official ecolabel
introduced by the Nordic Council of Ministers in 198969. The cosmetics ecolabel
criteria includes limits on the use of microbeads including the prohibition of
microplastics in the product or raw material.70
UK

Individual company and/or tradeassociation voluntary industry
phase-out actions

Regional Government
Support for Microbead Bans
Statements of support anddevelopment of regional actionplans that include plans for phasingout the use of microbeads inpersonal care products have been
issued by the EU, HELCOM, Nordic
Council of Ministers, OSPAR, and
SPREP regional bodies. The EU has
also incorporated the eliminationof microbeads in their ecolabelingprogram. These regional actions
are outlined below.
EU: In addition to the proposedplans to restrict plastic microbeads
outlined above, the EU has an
Ecolabeling program that includes
criteria requiring the exclusion of
microbeads from personal care andrinse off cosmetic products, as part

The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association (CTPA) states that the UK
cosmetics industry was voluntarily removing plastic microbeads from products as partof a Europe-wide initiative launched in October 2015. “As a result, the vast majorityof UK cosmetics manufacturers were already well on the way to removing plastic
microbeads completely from products, prior to the introduction of the legislation in theUK.”71of the formulation72. In June 2017
the EU announced new criteria for
six widely used types of detergents- laundry, industrial laundry,
dishwasher, industrial dishwasher,
hand dishwashing and hard-surface
cleaning detergents. These newcriteria will now require theseproducts to be free of microbeads
as well73.
HELCOM: HELCOM (Baltic
Marine Environment Protection
Commission - Helsinki
Commission) is the governing bodyof the Convention on the Protectionof the Marine Environment of
the Baltic Sea Area, known as
the Helsinki Convention. The
Contracting Parties are Denmark,Estonia, the European Union,
Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania,

Poland, Russia and Sweden.
Regional Baltic Sea Action Plan
marine junk. HELCOM has createda Regional Action Plan for Marine
Litter that sets the standard foreach HELCOM coastal member
countries for putting agreed
commitments into action. Thisaction plan includes specificmeasures to address microplastics.
To address the use of microbeads
in personal care products
formulations, it states “the possible
impact on the marine environment
should be reduced by applying
substitutes.74”
Nordic Council of Minsters: The
Nordic Council of Ministers andthe Nordic Council, a forum forofficial cooperation between
Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway,

82 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

Sweden, the Faroe Islands,
Greenland and Åland, launcheda Nordic program to reduce theenvironmental impact of plastic in
May 2017. This program includes
multiple objectives to develop aframework that prevents plastic
waste by replacing plastics withother materials and cites the use of
microbeads as an example75. They
have also contributed to the EU
strategy on plastic.

and regional government voluntary
approaches to minimizing andphasing out the use of microbeads
in personal care products,
civil society and multinational
corporations have also taken
action. Examples of these type ofapproaches are provided below.

OSPAR: OSPAR is the mechanism
by which 15 Governments andthe EU cooperate to protect themarine environment of the NorthEast Atlantic. OSPAR’s Regional
Action Plan includes a provision
to engage with all appropriate
sectors (manufacturing, retailetc.) to explore the possibility ofa voluntary agreement to phaseout the use of microbeads as acomponent in personal care andcosmetic products76. It also statesthat if voluntary agreements are
not sufficient, OSPAR should
be prepared to call on the EU tointroduce measure to achieve thecomplete phasing out of the use of
microbeads in these products.77

The International Coalition Beat
the Microbead, supported by 94
NGOs in 44 countries and led by the
Plastic Soup Foundation, houses
a website and app that presents
product lists from 24 countries79.
The lists include the names ofcompanies, producers and brands
and ranks products that containand don’t contain ingredients which
are commonly considered to be
microplastics by the amount of
microbead they contain. They alsooffer their own ecolabel, ‘Look for
the Zero’ for products guaranteed
to be 100% free of microplastic
ingredients. These initiatives,
along with the EU and Nordic Swanecolabels, look to recognize andreward microbead free products
and create market incentives that
positively influence the choices
people make when buying personalcare products.

SPREP: In September 2017, theSecretariat of the Pacific Regional
Environment Programme (SPREP)
endorsed a Call for Action on
Plastic Microbeads. This callto action commits member
governments to take measures toban the use of plastic microbeads
in their countries and advocate
other members for such bans.78
SPREP has 21 Pacific island
member countries and territories
and 5 developed countries withdirect interest in the region.

Other Voluntary Approaches
In addition to the country specificPublic listing of products
containing and not containing
microbeads

recommended to its members
they discontinue, by 2020, the useof synthetic microbeads used for
exfoliating and cleansing, that are
non-biodegradable in the aquatic
environment. This recommendation
built on voluntary initiatives alreadytaken by individual member
companies of Cosmetics Europe.
Unilever stopped using microbeads
as a scrub material in 2014
and replaced them with natural
alternatives.80 Colgate-Palmolive,81Johnson & Johnson Family ofConsumer Companies82 along withTarget in their branded products83
have as well. L’Oréal no longer uses
plastic microbeads as cleansing or
exfoliating agents in its wash-off
products, first for Biotherm (2014)
and The Body Shop (2015) before
being extended to all the Group’s
portfolio in 201784. Boots brands
and exclusive beauty and personalcare products, owned by US
company Walgreens Boots Alliance(WBA), reformulated to stop using
plastic microbeads in 2015 andstopped purchasing products withplastic microbeads after December
201785. WBA worked to do the samewith its US suppliers in advance of
the US microbead ban86.

Multi-national Company Voluntary
Elimination of Microbeads
Like many national companies,
multinational companies andmultinational trade unions havealso voluntary agreed to phaseout
microbeads in the products they
produce. In 2015 Cosmetics
Europe, the European tradeassociation for the cosmetics
and personal care industry,

United Nations Environment Programme | 83CONCLUSIONSThis report documents the progress made to regulate andcontrol the manufacture, use and trade in plastic bags,
single use plastics and microplastics, including microbeads
in personal care products. This report indicates that themethods used to regulate plastics differs greatly acrossregions and countries. More countries have taken action toregulate plastic bags than any other plastic type outlined inthis report. A range of approaches including bans, market
mechanisms and trade restrictions are utilized to control
plastics that end up as marine pollution.

Plastic bags: While a number ofcountries have sought to regulatemarine pollution through thebanning of plastic bags, bansin most countries do not cover
the life cycle of plastics bags –manufacture and production, use
and distribution as well as trade.
Partial bans exist both related tomaterial content and thickness
in most countries. Even withincountries that more strictly regulate
plastic bags several exemptions
exist to this requirement. Veryfew countries include expansive
tax controls or other incentives
to manufacture bags with more
renewable materials or incentives
for customers to use these bags
or promote awareness of theirimportance. Targets that mandate
recycling rates within legislationvary widely and while some
important regional and country
level examples exist there is not a
predominant approach to include

consumer level restrictions orpercentage production reductions in
use over time in many countries.
Several countries have passed
new laws which explore innovativeand important approaches totackle plastic bag pollution.
China’s ban on the importationof certain types of used plasticbags is a novel approach, as is
the phase out of use of plasticbags found in Republic of Moldova
and Uzbekistan. Cambodia’s lawthat includes encouragement ofimportation, production and of
biodegradable and bioplastic bags
and those made from renewablematerials such as banana leaves,clothing bags or environment bags,
charges on use of plastic bags, andregulation of import of the typesof plastic bags is comprehensive
and unique. Palau’s new law giving
one year for individuals or businessto phase out plastic products andrequiring the use of biodegradable
and compostable bags isextremely progressive. As are
incentives provided in Vietnam forenvironmentally friendly bags which
are exempt from an environmental
tax and in Malaysia where
there is specific biodegradable
disposable packaging available forInvestment tax allowances also areimportant to mention. The rangeof countries that have adopted
elements in their legislationthat require manufactures andproducers to manage the impactsof their products through extended
producer responsibility is anencouraging sign of progress.
At the regional level, the EU has
taken steps to put in place a
directive on plastic packaging which
has to be instituted by national law
in all members countries. Also,of significance is the number ofcountries regulating the importof plastic bags, including over 30
countries in Africa and those whose
import restrictions on plastic bags
are particularly restrictive e.g.
Pakistan.
Single Use plastics: Bans on
single-use plastics have increased
rapidly in recent years (since 2012)
but the most common regulatory
instruments remain extended
producer responsibility, taxes andfees, and recycling rules to reducedemand or manage disposal.
Roughly half of the bans cover all
stages of commerce of singleuse plastics—from production
to distribution, import and use,
while the rest focus on specificaspects. Countries have primarily
targeted products in the food84 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

service industry, as well as plastic
packaging.
While bans are widespread,
instruments of taxation are far moreconcentrated in Europe, where 17 of
the 31 national taxation measures
are in place. Extended Producer
Responsibility has been establishedin 42 countries to encourageretailers to develop systems forcollecting, reusing, recycling orsafely disposing of plastic products.
Forty-seven countries have enacted
recycling mandates, making it
the most common approach,but a smaller subset define clear
economy wide targets or offer fiscal
incentives.
Several countries have begun toput in place important innovative
approaches to tackle single use
plastic, including those which have
put in place regulations based on adetailed definition of plastic as the
Seychelles or Canada’s ban whichis part of a larger circular economy
initiative and green growth act.
Microbeads: To date, eight
countries have passed laws or
regulations at the national level
while four, plus the EU, are in theprocess of passing new laws or
regulations. This suggests that, todate, few countries have taken legal
action to prohibit the use of plastic
microbeads in products.22
The laws and regulations, which
all limit the selling of microbead
containing products, define
microbeads as plastic particles
smaller or equal to 5 millimetersin size, but vary in the control ofmanufacturing or importing of
microbead containing products. The
scope of products and specificity ofterms used to describe the products

covered under the law also varies,
although all but one country, New
Zealand, limit control to rinse off
cosmetics and other personalcare products. This suggest thatcountries have prioritized personalcare products for bans and havenot used national legislation toprohibit the use of microbeads inother types of cleaning or industrial
products.
The report finds that actors in atleast 14 countries have utilized
voluntary approaches at the country
level to encourage the eliminationof microbeads in personal careproducts. Beyond individual
country actions, multinational
companies, trade associations, andregional government bodies have
all taken voluntary initiatives tospur the phase out of microbeadcontaining cosmetic and personalcare products across the globe.
These findings suggest that morecountries are choosing to utilize
voluntary approaches rather thanlaws or regulations to explicitly
control the use and manufactureof microbeads and microbead
containing products.
However, the report’s findings
also highlight that three countries
that have passed national bansand two that are in the processof passing proposed laws havealso initiated voluntary actions.
Many trade associations andindividual countries have also
taken on voluntary phase outs at
both the country and global level.
This suggests that discussions
around the need to eliminate theuse of microbeads in personal careproducts through legislative action
may spur voluntary action in somecountries.

It should also be noted that many
companies, governments, and civilsociety organizations have citedthe availability of biodegradable
and natural alternatives to plastic
microbeads such as including
jojoba beads, apricot seeds, andpowdered nut shells as reasonable
substitutes for plastic microbeads.
Further, ecolabeling programs havebegun to include the prohibitionof plastic, nonbiodegradable
microbeads in their Ecolabel criteria
for cosmetics and other personalcare products. Coupled with thegrowing awareness around the
problems of marine litter andthe contribution of microbeads,
the relatively easy availability ofalternatives has likely reinforced
the range of approaches being
used to control microbeads. This
range can, in turn, act as a source ofinspiration for other actions.
Microbeads used in personalcare and cosmetic products are asignificant direct source of marine
litter, especially in locations withno or limited wastewater treatment
in place. Phasing out the useof microbeads in personal careproducts will help contribute to
Sustainable Goal 14: Conserveand sustainably use the oceans,seas and marine resources forsustainable development by
reducing the amounts of micro
particles in the marine environment.
Regional declarations, national
legislation and voluntary initiatives
all have an important role to play inachieving this global commitment
to reduce marine litter.

United Nations Environment Programme | 85

RECOMMENDATIONS:
Multiple campaigns and efforts are ongoing to push for country action on the reduction
and recycling of plastic products but too few countries in general have specific legislationthat either places controls on producers or manufactures to address waste minimization,
adopt recycling targets or charge enough to disincentivize the purchase of plastic products.
If countries adopt specific legislation regulating plastic, they are more likely to be able
to meet their targets under Sustainable Development Goal 14 which seeks to ensure theconservation and sustainable use of oceans. As knowledge and understanding of the scaleof the problem of plastic pollution grows, more concerted action will be required at thenational level to address the scale of the marine pollution problem caused by plastics. Given
the urgency of the plastic pollution crisis, measuring and monitoring the implementation andimpact of these different regulatory measures will be crucial to scaling successful efforts.

86 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

ANNEX

Table 42: Plastic Bag Indicators
General
1. Are there any laws that prevent regulating the sale, use or disposal of plastic bags?
2. Is there any overarching or framework law that regulates marine pollution which includes plastics in the country being
researched? How does the framework law address plastics?
Manufacture and Production
1. Are there any national laws that prohibit or ban the manufacture or production of plastic bags?
2. Is the prohibition or ban total?
3. Is the prohibition or ban partial?
4. If partial, which of the following types? (Type YES for all that apply).
4.1 Production restrictions, i.e., manufacture of production of plastic bags is limited to a maximum number or volume.
4.2 Thickness requirement, i.e., thin, ultrathin, or lightweight plastic bags are prohibited.
4.2.1. Specify the required thickness or size (minimum or maximum ___________).
4.3 Material content requirement, i.e.
4.3.1. Requirement of a percentage or content of recycled material.
4.3.2. Only biodegradable and/or compostable bags are allowed.
4.4 Other (please specify): ________________
5. Are there national laws that impose a tax on the manufacture of plastic bags?
6. Are there any national laws that provide fiscal incentives (e.g. tax breaks) to manufacturers to recycle and/or produce re-usable
plastic bags?
6.1. If there are national laws that provide fiscal incentives, what are these incentives (e.g., exemption from tax)?
Use
1. Are there any national laws that prohibit or ban the free distribution of plastic bags?
2. Is the ban total?
3. Is the ban partial?
4. If partial, which of the following types? (Type YES for all that apply).
4.1 Only biodegradable or compostable plastic bags are allowed for free distribution.
4.2 Paper bags allowed for free distribution in lieu of plastic bags.
4.3 Other (please specify): _____________
5. Are there any national laws that mandate the retailer to impose a levy or fee to the customer for plastic bags provided?
5.1 If so, how much is the levy/fee?
6. Are there any national laws that mandate or promote the use of re-usable bags?
7. Are there any national laws that place a tax on the retailer for the distribution of plastic bags?
7.1 If so, how much?
8. Are there any national laws that require creation of a fund (e.g. environmental fund) from taxes or levies charged on plastic
bags?
8.1. If so, provide the name of the fund and the weblink
Disposal
1. Are there any national laws that regulate or require the return, collection, and disposal of plastic bags? If ‘Yes’, what is the extent
of the provision?
1.1 Who is required?

United Nations Environment Programme | 87

1.1.1 Manufacturer or producer (for example, under an extended producer responsibility*)
1.1.2 Retailer
1.1.3 Consumer
2. Are there any national laws that require the recycling of plastic bags?
3. Are there any national laws that require specific fees/taxes for the disposal of plastic bags?
3.1 Who is required to pay the fee/tax?
3.1.1 Manufacturer
3.1.2 Retailer
3.1.3 Consumer
4. Are there any national laws that impose fines for unlawful disposal of plastic bags outside of regulated spaces? What are thefines?
5. Are there any national solid waste management laws that cover plastic bags? If so, what is the extent?
Trade
1. Are there any national laws that prohibit or ban the import of plastic bags?
2. Is the ban total?
3. Is the ban partial?
4. If partial, which of the following types? (Type YES for all that apply).
4.1 Ban on non-biodegradable bags.
4.2 Ban on thin, ultrathin or lightweight bags. Specify size or thickness requirement: _____________.
4.3. Other (please specify): ______________.
5. Are there any national laws that prohibit or ban the export of plastic bags?

Table 43: Single Use Plastics Indicators
General
1. Are there any laws that prevent regulating the sale, use or disposal of single use items?
Manufacture and Production
1. Are there any national laws that ban the manufacture of single-use plastic products?
2. Is the prohibition or ban total?
3. Is the prohibition or ban partial?
4. If partial, which of the following types?
4.1 Ban on certain products (type YES for all that apply):
4.1.1 Plastic bottles or beverage containers.
4.1.2 Plastic plates, cups, cutlery or stirrers
4.1.3 Plastic straws
4.1.4 Other (please specify): ______________.
4.2 Ban on certain materials (type YES for all that apply):
4.2.1 Polystyrene/expanded polystyrene/Styrofoam
4.2.2 Other (please specify): ______________.
4.3 Production restrictions i.e. manufacture of production of single use plastic products is limited to a maximum number orvolume.
5. Are there any national laws that impose a tax on the manufacture of single use plastic products?
6. Are there any national laws that provide fiscal incentives (e.g. tax breaks) to manufacturers to recycle and/or produce re-usable
products?
Use
1. Are there any national laws that prohibit or ban the free distribution or use of single use plastic products?
2. Is the prohibition or ban total?

88 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

2. Is the prohibition or ban partial?
4. If partial, which of the following types:
4.1 Ban on certain products (type YES for all that apply):
4.1.1 Plastic bottles or beverage containers.
4.1.2 Plastic plates, cups, cutlery or stirrers
4.1.3 Plastic straws
3.1.4 Other (please specify): ______________.
4.2 Ban on certain materials (type YES for all that apply):
4.2.1 Polystyrene/expanded polystyrene/Styrofoam
4.2.2 Other (please specify): ______________.
4.3 Production restrictions i.e. manufacture of production of single use plastic products is limited to a maximum number orvolume.
5. Is there a ban on certain products? If YES, specify which type of products: _____________
6. Is there a ban on certain business establishments? If YES, specify which type of businesses (e.g. beach restaurants prohibitedfrom providing straws): ____________
7. Are there any national laws that ban the sale of single use plastic products? If YES, specify which type of products:________________
9. Are there any national laws that impose a tax on retailers/business establishments for the use or distribution of single use
plastic products? If YES, specify which type of products: ________________
11. Are there any national laws that provide incentives to retailers/business establishments for the use of re-usable plastic
products? If YES, pecify which type of products: ______________
12. Are there any national laws that mandate targets for reduced use or recycling of plastic products?
13. Are there any national laws that require the creation of an environmental fund from charges levied on single use plastic items?
Disposal
1. Are there any national laws that regulate the return, collection or disposal of single use plastic items?
1.1 If YES, who is required?
1.1.1 Manufacturer or producer (for example, under an extended producer responsibility*)
1.1.2 Retailer
1.1.3 Consumer
2.Are there any national laws that require recycling of single use plastic items?
3. Are there any national laws that require specific fees/taxes or other charging scheme for the disposal of single use plastic
items?
3.1 Who is required to pay the fee/tax?
3.3.1 Manufacturer
3.3.2 Retailer
3.3.3 Consumer
4. Are there any national laws that impose fines for unlawful disposal of single use plastic items outside of regulated spaces? What
are the fines?
5. Are there any national solid waste management laws that cover single use plastic items? To what extent?
Trade
1.Are there any national laws that prohibit or ban the import of single use plastic products?
2.Is the ban total?
3.Is the ban partial?
4. If partial, which type of ban?
4.1 Ban on certain products. Specify which type of products: ____________
4.2 Ban on certain business establishments. If YES, specify which type of businesses: _____________
5. Are there any national laws that prohibit the export of single use plastic items?

United Nations Environment Programme | 89

Table 44: Microbead Indicators
1. Are there any laws that prevent regulating the sale, use or disposal of microbeads?
1.Are there any national laws that prohibit or ban the manufacture, trade and sale of microbeads?
2.Is the prohibition or ban total?
3.Is the prohibition or ban partial?
4. Does the law include a definition of microbead? Provide the definition.
5. Does the ban include restrictions on size? List sizes included in ban.
6. Does the ban include restrictions on product type? List the products included in the ban.
7. Are there any exemptions provided in the laws regulating microbeads? List the exemption.
8. Does the ban include provisions on plastic type including biodegradable alternatives? List the specific type of plastics included.
9. What is the date the law/laws come into effect?
10. Is any new law being proposed in your country?
11. Is there a proposed timeframe for entry-into-force? Provide the timeframe.
12. Does the law include control or prohibition on disposal of products or waste that contain microbeads? If yes, provide
description of provision.
13. Does the law on microbeads add or reference microbeads in laws governing toxic substances or additives?
14. Are there any voluntary measures or standards set by the government or industry to phase out from microbeads?

90 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

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110 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

End notes
1.

Results from Iran (Islamic Republic of) and Palestine are missing from this global review

2.

SDG Goal 14.1: By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution.

3.

Jambeck et al 2015

4.

EU Plastics – the Facts 2017 https://www.plasticseurope.org/application/files/5715/1717/4180/Plastics_the_facts_2017_FINAL_for_website_one_page.pdf

5.

UNEP 2018

6.

Ibid.

7.

Dris et al 20158.

EPA 2016

9.

UNEP (2018). SINGLE-USE PLASTICS: A Roadmap for Sustainability

10.

Ibid.

11.

UNEP (2015) Plastic in Cosmetics. Plastic_in_cosmetics_Are_we_polluting_the_environment_through_our_personal_care_-2015Plas.pdf

12.

Gallo F et. al 201813.

Anbumani S and Poonam K, 2018

14.

UNEP (2015) Plastic in Cosmetic.

15.

UN Environment Assembly resolutions 1/6, 2/11 and 3/7.

16.

More information on the coalition is available at https://www.ecologique-solidaire.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/GB_Coalition_sacs_plastique_DEF.pdf

17.

UN Environment, 201818.

G7 Charlevoix, 201819.

See ECOLEX at https://www.ecolex.org/

20.

In this report the term ‘laws’ is used to describe any primary legislation (e.g. acts or statutes adopted by national parliaments/legislatures) and secondary legislation (e.g. regulations, statutoryorders, by-laws) made under primary legislation. Laws adopted at the sub-national level have not been considered within the scope of this report.

21.

Covers both laws and implementing regulations.

22.

For example, http://www.ncsl.org/research/environment-and-natural-resources/plastic-bag-legislation.aspx

23.

Andorra, Decree of May 17, 2017, Regulation on the reduction of consumption of plastic bags

24.

Luxembourg Law of 21 March 2017 related to packaging and packaging waste

25.

e.g China, Notice of the General Office of State Council on Restricting the Production, Sale and Use of Plastic Shopping Bags” (SC GO G [2008] No.72)and Estonia Packaging Act (2004)
subsection 5 (2) 1)

26.

Countries which included vague requirements or exemptions or significant limitations to the characteristics of EPR rules included Venezuela, China, Cuba, Laos, Chad, Brazil, Cameroon, Central
African Republic, Zambia

27.

The report uses the term Extended Producer Responsibility elements or characteristics as there is no overarching consensus globally of what extended producer responsibility legislation must
include. For Example elements of EPR were found in Brazil and Zambia but they were so limited that Brazil and Zambia were not included within the report as having a national EPR system.

28.

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/plastic_waste.htm

29.

European Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/EC of 20 December 1994 on packaging and packaging waste, at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/
PDF/?uri=CELEX:01994L0062-20150526&from=EN.

30.

EU Directive 94/62/EC.

31.

“Portugal: Parliament to Discuss Banning Disposable Plates in Restaurants | Macau Business,” accessed September 19, 2018, http://www.macaubusiness.com/portugal-parliament-discussbanning-disposable-plates-restaurants/.

32.

“UK Government Rallies Commonwealth to Unite on Marine Waste - GOV.UK,” accessed September 19, 2018, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-government-rallies-commonwealth-tounite-on-marine-waste.

33.

“Plastic+Ban+Countries.Pdf,” accessed September 19, 2018, https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/wcm/connect/e8d4a940-99bf-4bc7-9cb0-c777e420ccaf/Plastic+Ban+Countries.
pdf?MOD=AJPERES.

34.

“Why India Passed One Of The World’s Toughest Anti-Plastic Laws | HuffPost,” accessed September 19, 2018, https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/single-use-plastic-ban-india_
us_5b3a09b6e4b0f3c221a28a07. 7

35.

“Senators to Push for Single-Use Plastic Ban | News | GMA News Online,” accessed September 19, 2018, http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/656075/senators-to-push-for-singleuse-plastic-ban/story/.

36.

“Use of Plastics in Public Institutions of Costa Rica Is Restricted from Now On | The Costa Rica News,” accessed September 19, 2018, https://thecostaricanews.com/use-of-plastics-in-publicinstitutions-of-costa-rica-is-restricted-from-now-on/.

37.

“Budget Addresses - Budget Address 2018 - 2019: From Survival, to Sustainability and Success: A Resilient Dominica - Ministry of Finance,” accessed September 19, 2018, http://finance.gov.
dm/budget/budget-addresses/file/27-budget-address-2018-2019-from-survival-to-sustainability-and-success-a-resilient-dominica.

38.

“Plastic+Ban+Countries.Pdf.”https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/wcm/connect/e8d4a940-99bf-4bc7-9cb0-c777e420ccaf/Plastic+Ban+Countries.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

39.

“Plastic+Ban+Countries.Pdf.”https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/wcm/connect/e8d4a940-99bf-4bc7-9cb0-c777e420ccaf/Plastic+Ban+Countries.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

40.

“Nevis Government to Ban Disposable Plastics - The St Kitts Nevis Observer,” accessed September 19, 2018, http://www.thestkittsnevisobserver.com/local-news/nevis-government-bandisposable-plastics/.

41.

UNEP (2015) Plastic in Cosmetics

42.

Ministry of Environment website, accessed September 2018: http://www.mfe.govt.nz/waste/plastic-microbeads

43.

Pells R (2017)44.

Government of Australia. 2018. Assessment of the voluntary phase out of microbeads.

45.

Canada Gazette. 2017 Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement

United Nations Environment Programme | 111

46.

Sa Sa - Environment, Social and Corporate Governance Policy Statement. Accessed 201847.

The Danish Association of Cosmetics and Detergent Industries

48.

Nordic Swan Ecolabel

49.

Ibid.

50.

Kesko Group 2018

51.

UNEP. The Ocean Conference for implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14

52.

Nordic Swan Ecolabelling of Cosmetic products

53.

Ibid.

54.

FEBEA

55.

UNEP. The Ocean Conference for implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 1456.

German Green Party application

57.

UNEP. The Ocean Conference for implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14

58.

Nordic Swan Ecolabelling of Cosmetic products

59.

Ibid.

60.

UNEP. The Ocean Conference for implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14

61.

Ibid

62.

House of Representatives of the States General 2 Meeting year. October 2014.

63.

NCV, Annual Report 201764.

Government of Norway. (2017, December).

65.

Nordic Swan Ecolabelling of Cosmetic products

66.

Ibid.

67.

Boh, S. (2016, October).

68.

UNEP. The Ocean Conference for implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14

69.

Nordic Swan Ecolabelling of Cosmetic products

70.

Ibid.

71.

Thefactsabout.co.uk. What’s in my cosmetic? Plastic Microbeads FAQs .

72.

European Union. 201473.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION. (2017, June).

74.

HELCOM (2015)75.

Nordic Council of Ministers (2017),

76.

OSPAR Commission (2014)

77.

ibid

78.

SPREP (2017f

79.

Beat the Microbead. FAQ (September 2018).

80.

Unilever. Your ingredient questions answered. Plastic scrub beads.

81.

Colgate-Palmolive. Core Values. Our Policy on Ingredient Safety: Earning Your Confidence for Generations, Every Day.

82.

Johnson and Johnson Inc. Safety and Care Commitment. Microbeads.

83.

Target Corporation, (2014).

84.

L’oréal (2017, October ).

85.

Walgreens Boots Alliance (2016)

86.

Ibid.

112 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations

United Nations Environment Programme | 113

114 | Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics:A Global Review of National Laws and Regulations