Legislative guidelines for non-biodegradable plastic bag ban finally passed / Some controversy remains

摘要

A year after Italy became the first European country to ban non-biodegradable PE bags, its council of ministers has only just implemented the legislation enforcing it. Regulations as to the permitted levels of degradability are still controversial. As retailers were permitted to use up their stocks of non-biodegradable bags up to the end of 2011, the switch evidently is not yet visible. But with former EU commissioner Mario Monti now in the prime minister's seat, it seems attempts by plastics industry groupings to torpedo the legislation have failed.