Overview
- Xunta delegate Manuel Pardo handed out reusable bags at Ourense's Plaza de Abastos and similar events were held in Galicia's seven main cities, with 150 bags in Vigo claimed within about 50 minutes.
- The outreach ties to European rules that ban certain single‑use plastic items and require retailers to charge for plastic bags while allowing very light compostable bags for hygiene or primary‑packaging needs.
- Xunta officials highlight a reported 57.8% recycling rate in Galicia, roughly eight points above the 50% level the EU recommends for this year.
- International and NGO data underline the scale of the problem, with the UN estimating about 430 million tonnes of plastic produced annually and Greenpeace reporting Spain generates 2.3 million tonnes of plastic waste and an average of 144 single‑use bags per person each year.
- Local market traders say customers now ask for fewer free bags since charging began, a sign of behavior change that still leaves concerns about remaining plastic packaging and microplastic contamination.