Plastic Carrier Bag Regulations in the EU, UK and US

Which rules affect a printed plastic carrier bag?

Four types of rule apply: restrictions on thin bags (charges or bans defined by micron or mil), recycled-content rules and taxes, extended producer responsibility (EPR) fees by weight, and limits on environmental claims. Which ones bite depends on the country, the type of store and the bag's thickness.

What does the EU require for plastic carrier bags?

Under Directive (EU) 2015/720, which amended the Packaging Directive 94/62/EC, Member States must reduce consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags (below 50 µm), through charges, bans or reduction targets. Very lightweight bags (below 15 µm) can be excluded from those measures. From 1 January 2030, the PPWR adds an EU-wide restriction on very lightweight plastic carrier bags, with exceptions.

Directive (EU) 2015/720: the 15 and 50 micron thresholds

The directive defined three categories that national laws still use:

Because each Member State chose its own measures, the same bag can be legal and free in one country, charged in another and banned in a third.

PPWR, Regulation (EU) 2025/40

The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation entered into force on 11 February 2025 and has applied generally since 12 August 2026. For plastic carrier bags it matters in four ways:

• Annex V restrictions from 1 January 2030 include very lightweight plastic carrier bags, with exceptions (for example where needed for hygiene reasons or used as primary packaging for loose food to help prevent food waste). Check the final text and any guidance for the exact scope.
• The PPWR carries forward the obligation on Member States to achieve a sustained reduction in lightweight plastic carrier bag consumption.
• Recycled content: from 1 January 2030 at the earliest, plastic packaging must contain minimum recycled content; for plastic packaging outside the contact-sensitive and single-use beverage bottle categories the figure is 35 %, rising to 65 % in 2040. How the calculation and exemptions apply is set by implementing acts.
• Recyclability: from 1 January 2030, packaging must meet recyclability grade A, B or C, with design-for-recycling criteria due by 2028; EPR fees will be modulated by grade.

Article 9 of the PPWR also allows Member States to require that very lightweight and lightweight plastic carrier bags be compostable. Labelling under Article 12 (a harmonised sorting label) is expected from August 2028 or later, depending on the implementing act. For the regulation as a whole, see our PPWR guide.

Single-Use Plastics Directive (EU) 2019/904

Lightweight plastic carrier bags are listed for extended producer responsibility, including the costs of litter clean-up and awareness measures. The directive also bans oxo-degradable plastics, so "oxo-biodegradable" bags cannot be placed on the EU market.

How do Germany, Austria and the Netherlands apply the rules?

All three have gone beyond the minimum in the 2015 directive. Germany bans lightweight plastic carrier bags at retail, Austria bans plastic carrier bags in general with narrow exceptions, and the Netherlands does not allow plastic carrier bags to be given away free. The details below are background; confirm the current national text before ordering.

• Germany: lightweight plastic carrier bags (15 µm to below 50 µm) have been banned at retail since 1 January 2022 under packaging law, with very lightweight bags (below 15 µm) needed for hygiene or used for loose food, and thicker bags, outside the ban. Since 12 August 2026 the ban is in § 12(1) of the VerpackDG (formerly § 5(2) VerpackG), which exempts very lightweight bags only where they are needed for hygiene or supplied as sales packaging for loose food. Separately, the single-use plastic fund (Einwegkunststofffondsgesetz) charges a levy per kilogram on lightweight plastic carrier bags placed on the German market, at €3.801/kg under the current rate ordinance, paid by the first placer (usually the importer) after registration in DIVID. LUCID registration with ZSVR and system participation also apply to packaging placed on the market; see packaging compliance in Germany and Austria.
• Austria: placing plastic carrier bags on the market has been banned since 1 January 2020 (§ 13j AWG 2002; retailers could hand out remaining stock until 31 December 2020). The exceptions in § 13k are very lightweight bags made predominantly from renewable raw materials and suitable for home composting, and reusable bags of woven plastic with sewn seams and handles. Austrian EPR licensing via a collection system applies to packaging placed on the market, and foreign distance sellers supplying private consumers have needed an Austrian authorised representative since 1 January 2023.
• Netherlands: plastic carrier bags of any thickness may not be provided free of charge, a rule in place since 1 January 2016, except very thin bags (below 15 µm) used as the only packaging for loose food for hygiene or to prevent food waste. EPR applies through Verpact (formerly Afvalfonds Verpakkingen), with reporting above 50,000 kg a year for most packaging and no threshold for single-use plastic products.

What are the plastic bag rules in the UK?

In England, retailers must charge at least 10p for single-use plastic carrier bags of 70 µm or less; paper bags are not charged in England. Separately, UK Plastic Packaging Tax applies to plastic packaging with less than 30 % recycled plastic at £228.82 per tonne from 1 April 2026. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own charge rules.

England's carrier bag charge

• Applies to single-use plastic carrier bags of 70 µm or less, supplied new for carrying goods out of the store or for delivery.
• Minimum charge 10p since 21 May 2021, when it was raised from 5p and extended to all retailers regardless of size.
• Paper bags are not covered by the charge in England.
• There are exemptions for certain items, such as some unwrapped food and medicines; check the government guidance for the full list.

A bag specified above 70 µm falls outside the charge, but it must still be genuinely suitable for reuse to make sense commercially and environmentally, and should not sit right at the threshold given film tolerances (see plastic bag thickness).

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Scotland charges a minimum of 10p (since 1 April 2021) and Wales a minimum of 5p (since 1 October 2011) for single-use carrier bags, including paper. Northern Ireland's levy is 25p (since 1 April 2022) on new carrier bags of any material, single-use or reusable, retailing at £5 or less. Exemptions differ by nation, so check the current guidance with each government before printing price or legal wording on bags. Wales's single-use plastics ban phase that was to include carrier bags was postponed in February 2026.

Plastic Packaging Tax

• Rate: £228.82 per tonne from 1 April 2026.
• Scope: plastic packaging components with less than 30 % recycled plastic by weight, filled or unfilled. Carrier bags and mailing bags are plastic packaging.
• Who: UK manufacturers and importers of 10 tonnes or more of plastic packaging in 12 months must register with HMRC, even if their packaging is at or above 30 % recycled content.
• Evidence: the recycled-content position must be supported by records; ask your supplier for documentation of the recycled share and its source.

A non-UK manufacturer is not the UK taxpayer; the UK importer is. At roughly 15-20 g per retail bag, 10 tonnes is around 500,000-670,000 bags, so many retailers reach the threshold once other plastic packaging is added.

pEPR and recycling

UK packaging EPR applies to producers above the turnover and tonnage tests, and the UK importer or brand owner is the obligated party, not an overseas manufacturer. Under the Simpler Recycling reforms in England, plastic film collections from households and businesses were due by 31 March 2027, but Defra announced in July 2026 a delay to 2030 (reported as 1 April 2030), with the regulations to be amended; check current government guidance for the timetable. Wider UK rules are in our UK packaging regulations guide.

What are the US plastic bag laws?

There is no federal US plastic bag law. Bans and charges are set by states, counties and cities, and they differ in which stores are covered and whether thicker "reusable" plastic bags are allowed. California and New York have two of the best-known statewide bans.

• California, SB 1053: SB 270 (2014) banned single-use plastic carryout bags at covered stores; from 1 January 2026, plastic carryout bags are banned at covered stores (generally grocery stores, larger retailers with pharmacies, convenience and liquor stores, as defined in the law), including the thicker plastic "reusable" bags that the earlier SB 270 regime allowed. Paper carryout bags must meet recycled-content and marking rules and carry a minimum charge. Restaurants and other businesses outside the covered-store definition may be subject to local ordinances.
• New York: since 1 March 2020, the state Bag Waste Reduction Act bans most plastic carryout bags at businesses that collect sales tax, with exemptions that include, among others, bags used by restaurants and similar food service establishments to carry out or deliver food, and bags for food sliced or prepared to order. The state law sets no recycled-content minimum for paper bags, and some cities and counties add a 5-cent paper bag fee.
• New Jersey: since 4 May 2022, single-use plastic carryout bags are banned, and paper carryout bags are banned at large grocery stores (2,500 sq ft or more).
• Several other states and many cities have their own restrictions, and some define reusable plastic bags by a minimum mil thickness and other durability criteria that have been tightened over time.

For printed bags destined for the US, confirm the rules for each state and city where bags will be used, and keep documentation of thickness and recycled content. US-wide context, including state EPR laws, is in US foodservice packaging regulations. Import duty rates on Turkish goods have changed frequently and must be checked at the time of order.

What can you print on the bag?

Print wording must be accurate and evidence-backed. In the EU, Directive (EU) 2024/825 applies from 27 September 2026 and bans generic environmental claims such as "eco-friendly" or "green" without recognised excellent environmental performance. In the UK, the CMA Green Claims Code and the DMCC Act 2024 apply, with direct fines for consumer law breaches.

• "Made with 30 % recycled plastic" is acceptable only if you hold evidence for that share.
• "Recyclable" should reflect real collection access for end users; for film, that often means store take-back, and in the US the FTC Green Guides set a "substantial majority" test.
• Avoid "biodegradable" on conventional PE bags; oxo-degradable plastics are banned in the EU.
• Some jurisdictions require specific markings on reusable or recycled-content bags; California has marking rules for carryout bags.

The difference between recyclable, compostable and biodegradable claims is covered in recyclable vs compostable packaging. If you are weighing a switch to paper because of these rules, see paper vs plastic takeaway bags and, for paper bag rules, paper bag regulations by market.

Compliance checklist before ordering printed plastic bags

• List every country, region and store type where the bags will be used.
• Check thickness against local thresholds and keep the nominal value clear of any limit.
• Decide recycled content and obtain supplier evidence (PCR or PIR share, source).
• Confirm who is the importer, producer or first placer in each market, and who registers for EPR, PPT or levies.
• Calculate weight per bag and annual tonnage for EPR, PPT and levy reporting.
• Review all environmental claims and required markings in the artwork.
• For food-contact use, request a Declaration of Compliance and confirm recycled-content suitability.
• Record the date of your check, since these rules change often.

Once the market check is done, send your specification and artwork through the custom printed plastic bags hub or our contact page, and state the market of use so it can be considered at technical review.