One year after the tax
Photo: Janerik Henriksson/TT

One year after the tax – rush on plastic bags

A year ago, the tax on plastic bags was abolished. Since then, sales have increased significantly at the grocery giants, reports SVT Nyheter Jämtland.

According to the Keep Sweden Clean foundation, Swedes' average consumption of plastic bags decreased significantly between 2017 and 2024: from 83 per year per person to 13.

When the tax was abolished on November 1, 2024, the price of plastic bags, in general, decreased from seven to four kronor.

Ica and Coop tell SVT that sales have increased by approximately 50 percent since then. At Axfood, the increase is 30 percent.

Axfood's press manager Magnus Törnblom tells SVT that the proportion of plastic bags is "far below what it was" before the tax was introduced in 2020.

Ten years ago, an EU directive was set to reduce the consumption of plastic bags to 40 per person per year by 2025.

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AuthorTT News AgencyEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for our readers
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