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Italians face a new year of no plastic bags!

However, retail stores and supermarkets will be allowed to use up their stock of plastic bags but are not able to charge customers for the bags. According to Stefania Prestigiacomo, Italy's Minister of the Environment, Land and Sea, the ban is a step forward of fundamental importance in the fight against pollution and to make consumers more responsible for reuse and recycling.

Italian shops will now only be able to offer biodegradable, cloth or paper bags to their customers.

Meanwhile, the European Plastics Converters trade group (EuPC) issued a statement, "This initiative of the Italian National government is a short-sighted view which does not take into account the existence of legislation and the fact that traditional plastic packaging is recyclable and reusable. The Brussels-based EuPC says it has lodged a complaint with the European Commission and intends to challenge the commission.