In 2025, 248 million plastic carrier bags covered by the national reduction target were used, an increase of 45 percent compared with 2023, the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation writes in a press release.
The use of very thin plastic bags, which are used for fruit and vegetables, rose by 65 percent compared with 2024. In total, more than 400 million single-use plastic bags were used in 2025. The increase risks leading to more littering.
"We need to use fewer single-use plastic products and reduce the number of products that easily become litter. We also need more instruments to drive development in the right direction. Now both companies and consumers need to take responsibility," says Joakim Brodahl, vice president of Keep Sweden Tidy.
