July 1, 2025 15:25

After seven years of stable usage figures, the Swiss Retail Federation has decided to suspend its annual monitoring of plastic shopping bag consumption in Switzerland. The tracking had been part of voluntary agreements signed in 2016 and 2019 aimed at reducing bag use.

However, the ban on distributing single-use bags for free remains in force—a measure that has led to a remarkable 88% drop in consumption from 417 million units in 2016 to just over 51 million in 2024. The use of larger plastic carrier bags also fell significantly, down 65% from 48.8 million in 2020 to 16.2 million units in 2024.