Plastic carrier bags with a wall thickness of 15 to 50 micrometers are affected by the ban – these are the standard bags that you usually get at the checkout. Exceptions are the thin plastic bags, such as those found in the fruit and vegetable department.

“The plastic bag is the epitome of wasting resources,” the German Press Agency quotes Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD), who initiated the sales ban. “Good alternatives are shopping baskets, washable cloth bags for fruit and vegetables and reusable boxes for goods from the fresh produce counter.”