Germany: Most stores let consumers choose whether to use plastic (9055, -145.00, -1.58%) bags or canvas or cotton shopping bags. Plastic bags are charged according to size, ranging from 0.05 euros to 0.5 euros, and shops that provide consumers with plastic shopping bags are required to pay a recycling fee.
Ireland: From March 4, 2005, a tax of 13 cents was levied on each plastic shopping bag. All the funds collected were included in the Environmental Protection Fund for environmental protection projects. The use of plastic bags plummeted by 90%. The tax also Raised a substantial sum of money for environmental projects in Ireland.
Korea: No matter how expensive you buy at the mall, the mall will not give away shopping bags. If consumers do not bring their own bags, they have to pay 100 won to buy plastic bags. Stores will take back the bags at their original price, or customers can take old bags to stores or supermarkets for new ones. Since the introduction of the shopping bag charging system in 1999, the use of plastic bags has decreased by 60%.
Japan: The "Container Packaging Recycling Law" stipulates that supermarkets, convenience stores and other retail stores that use more than 50 tons of container packaging materials in a year are obliged to independently set targets for reducing shopping bags and wrapping paper, and report to the government every The annual reduction results, such as businesses found to be ineffective measures will be announced, the environment minister has the right to impose a fine of less than 500,000 yen (about 4,168 US dollars) on the business. Many retail stores are starting to offer plastic shopping bags for a fee and encourage customers to bring their own reusable shopping bags. (The article is taken from the Internet)