Sweden’s conservative government today eliminated a 25-cent tax on plastic shopping bags. The tax was introduced in 2020 to meet the European Union’s consumption target for plastic bags, and by 2023 it had reduced plastic bag use by nearly 80%. Host Carol Hills speaks with Agnes Willén, coordinator for waste statistics at Sweden’s Environmental Protection Agency, about Sweden’s success in reducing waste and concerns that, without the tax, more bags will be used by shoppers.
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