Poll: Only one in ten shoppers to use plastic bags after January

Only one in ten Greek shoppers say they will continue to use plastic bags in supermarkets after the introduction of a 3 cent levy as of January 2018, according to a new poll.

According to the survey, conducted by the Research Institute of Retail Consumer Goods (IELKA), two in three consumers are in favor of banning the all-too-familiar polythene bags.

The charge, which is set to rise to 7 cents from January 2019, is expected to reduce the use of plastic bags in Greece, which is currently estimated at an EU-leading 4.5 billion bags per annum, or 400 for each inhabitant every year. Two-thirds of all those bags come from supermarkets.

The revenues from the charge will go toward environmental actions as well as local authorities to supply consumers with reusable bags.

According to the survey, 57 percent plan to switch to reusable bags, while 33 percent have not decided what they will do after the deadline.

A nationwide sample of 530 people were interviewed for the poll.