As of January 1, 2016, the ban on distributing free plastic bags comes into effect. Both thin and thicker plastic bags may no longer be given to customers free of charge when purchasing goods and products. Exceptions include distributing plastic bags for keeping food suitable or preventing food waste. Also, the sealed bag on-site during tax-free shopping falls under the exception.
Clothing covers in the textile cleaning industry are not subject to the ban. This does not automatically mean that we use a clothing cover for every garment. We return the ironed items in the ironing box; for hanging clothes, we usually use one clothing cover for multiple garments.
The clothing covers used in the textile cleaning industry fall not under the plastic bags to which the ban applies. The draft regulation published on October 9, 2015, states the following: "The plastic bag, sealed or not, for meat products, and the plastic clothing cover for, for example, cleaned clothing, are not considered carrying bags. Neither forms a (collective) packaging intended to be carried by hand."
