Portugal’s “plastic bag tax” has increased the use of … plastic bags

Conservation group Quercus has revealed that Portugal’s “plastic bag tax” has increased the use of plastic bags by 40%. Not plastic shopping bags – but garbage bags, which people are now having to buy as they no longer have so many plastic bags at home to throw out. Thus the dubious benefit of the tax has been held up for public scrutiny as Quercus stress there have been “some environmental benefits” as garbage bags are made from recycled plastic, and carrier bags are not.

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