The usage of plastic bags decreased once again in 2018 in Germany. As compared to 2017, bag use was reduced by almost a fifth. According to GVM, a German association that conducts market research into packaging, the consumption of plastic bags decreased by 20 percent to around two billion bags in 2018. The volume has been reduced by nearly two-thirds after about 350 companies signed an agreement in 2016 with the Federal Environment Ministry (BMU) to reduce the number of plastics bags, in line with a European directive. In addition, many retailers participated in the commitment without having signed a similar voluntary agreement with the BMU or the German retail federation, HDE. In 2016, HDE committed itself to reduce the number of lightweight plastic carrier bags to an annual maximum of 90 units per person by the end of 2019, with a goal to reduce the number to 40 by 2025. Retailers were able to implement the requirements either by introducing a bag fee or by completely eliminating disposable carrier bags.

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