Don't call me plastic!
The biodegradable bag made of natural plastic is still permitted.
Based on renewable raw materials (plants).
Guaranteed free from harmful substances.
Bioplastics are compostable! Our NaKu cycle speaks for itself.
Food is kept fresher for longer
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Plastic bags are forbidden - Naku is the solution
Why is there a ban on plastic bags?
Where is there a plastic bag ban?
Don't call me plastic! Advantages of NaKu at a glance
For your questions – your contact to us
Plastic bags are forbidden - NaKu is the solution
Plastic bags have been banned in Austria since the beginning of 2020, i.e. plastic bags may no longer be given to customers. However, bags that were already ordered or in stock could still be handed out until the end of the year. As of January 1, 2021, the transitional period will be over and plastic bags will finally be banned.
What is exempt from the ban?
Only plastic bags with handles or grip holes are affected. With exception of:
Plastic bags that are less than 15 µm thick, are made from renewable raw materials and can be composted at home.
Reusable plastic bags (reusable bags) with fixed connections or carrying handles.
To ensure that your food, such as tomatoes or apples, can continue to be packaged hygienically, very thin, plant-based plastic bags are still permitted. NaKu bags are very thin and made from corn starch, which is why they can continue to be sold in stores.
Here are the details on the plastic bag ban
From January 1, 2020, the placing on the market of plastic carrier bags will be prohibited. "Placing on the market" can be understood as a commercial transfer to a legal entity within Austria. Distance selling, i.e. telephone or electronic business transactions, is also affected. Handing it over to a private person is not part of the ban. There was a transitional period until December 31, 2020 for bags that were already ordered or in stock.
What are plastic carrier bags? Plastic carrier bags are defined as carrier bags with a handle or handle hole made of plastic. Garbage bags, freezer bags, dog waste bags, or liner bags for organic waste boxes are therefore not affected by the ban.
Who is affected? The ban generally applies to all areas of trade, i.e. from supermarkets to fashion shops to kebab and sausage stands. Private households are not affected.
Notifications of the plastic bags put into circulation. Once a year, the number of plastic carrier bags placed on the market must be reported to the collection and recycling system for household packaging. Very light (wall thickness less than 0,015 mm) and light plastic carrier bags (wall thickness from 0,015 mm) are to be listed separately. The report must be submitted by March 15 of the following year.
This renewable and compostable bag may also be used in Austria for distribution to customers in stores. It does not fall under the Austrian plastic bag ban, as it can still be distributed as a lightweight, biodegradable carrier bag.
DI Mag. Johann Zimmermann,
Managing Director of NaKu
Why is there a ban on plastic bags?
The ban on plastic bags was passed in the National Council in July 2019, following an initiative by ex-Environment Minister Elisabeth Köstinger (ÖVP). The ban is intended to avoid up to 7.000 tons of plastic waste in Austria. Bags are often only used once or not disposed of properly. The ban therefore relieves the environment.
Conventional plastic does not degrade and takes hundreds to thousands of years to become invisible to us. The plastic breaks down into many microscopic particles, so-called microplastics, and enters the food chain. Tiny animals such as small crabs filter the water for plankton and unconsciously absorb microplastic particles. Fish then eat the crabs, absorb the microplastic and end up on our plates.
NaKu bags made of natural plastic are still allowed because they are made from plants and are biodegradable. Carelessly discarded NaKu bags biodegrade and do not break down into microplastics, which is why they pollute the environment less.
The CO2 previously absorbed by the plants in the plastic is completely released again during the decomposition process, making it CO2 - neutral. Nevertheless, our bags shouldn't simply be thrown away. They can be reused several times and, at the end of their life cycle, simply added to the compost heap along with organic waste.
The bags can be composted at home and have been certified for this by TÜV (DIN standard EN 13432). In industrial compost, the composting process of the NaKu bag takes about 3 - 5 days. In the home compost, if you turn it over at regular intervals, it takes 9 - 12 weeks in warm weather until our bag is composted.
Of course, a ban on plastic bags is just a drop in the ocean when you compare the 7.000 tons of plastic bags to the 300.000 tons of packaging waste generated annually. That's just 2 percent of Austria's total plastic packaging waste. However, the ban is an important step towards environmental protection. It sends a signal to industry and thus increases the pressure to adopt more sustainable alternatives. The impact such a ban can have is evident in other countries.
Where is there a plastic bag ban?
Austria is not alone. Italy was the first European country to ban plastic bags. Since 2011, only bags made of compostable bioplastic have been permitted there. Since July 1, 2016, plastic bags thinner than 50 μm have also been banned in France. Bio-based, compostable bags are exempt there as well.
A ban on plastic bags was recently passed in Germany, which will apply from 2022. With the German plastic bag ban, however, thin plastic bags, regardless of whether they are made from petroleum or bio-based, are exempt.
Other countries, such as Ireland, Great Britain and Denmark, rely on additional levies on plastic bags. The introduction of such a tax in 2002 reduced plastic bag consumption in Ireland by around 90%.
But Europe is by no means a pioneer in reducing plastic waste. Many African countries reacted much earlier with bans, and these bans are far more comprehensive. Rwanda is a particularly good example, where plastic bags and plastic packaging have been completely banned since 2008. The capital, Kigali, is now even considered the cleanest city in Africa. Kenya passed a ban in 2017 and is now the country with the strictest plastic bag ban in the world: Violators can face a fine of the equivalent of €34.000 or a four-year prison sentence.
The ban on plastic bags is just the first step. The goal is to reduce plastic waste in general and thus protect the environment. From 2021, single-use plastic products will therefore be banned in the EU. This was agreed upon by the EU Council of Ministers and the European Parliament on May 21, 2019, and will come into force on January 1, 2021. The banned products include cotton swabs, straws, cutlery, plates, beverage containers, and food packaging. Bioplastics are exempt. NaKu straws can therefore still be purchased and used in the future.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Light and biodegradable bags that are thinner than 15 µm may continue to be handed out by retailers. So also our NaKu bags.
For the production of the NaKu Sackerl, NaKu uses starch from corn from European agriculture. Natural plastic feels pleasantly soft and velvety to the touch and is still tear-resistant.
The natural plastic is compostable according to DIN EN 13432 (TÜV certified). In industrial compost, for example, the composting process for a pharmacy bag takes about 3-5 days. In home compost, if it's regularly turned, it takes 9-12 weeks in warm weather for our pharmacy bag to compost.
With our NaKu bags you can keep your groceries such as bread, vegetables and fruit fresh for longer. In a study by BOKU, apples, mangoes, tomatoes, chanterelles, lettuce, bread and rolls were stored in three different ways: open, in plastic bags and in NaKu bags. The result is clear. Bread, for example, lasts more than twice as long in the NaKu bag as when stored open and also retains its taste compared to the plastic bag. Apples keep their taste, especially when stored in the NaKu bag. The situation is similar for lettuce and other foods.
Our NaKu bags therefore reduce food waste. Less food waste also means fewer CO2 emissions. With our NaKu bags, you can make a valuable contribution to environmental and climate protection.
NaKu bags can not only be used once, but can also be used several times thanks to their tear resistance. In the end, they can be used as organic waste bags - NaKu bags completely decompose in the compost!
Your personal contact
Do you have any further questions about our NaKu bags or about your individual printing?
Lizzy Weinert is looking forward to hearing from you:
Email: office@naku.at
Phone: + 43 (0) 660 551 7789
(weekdays Mon – Thu from 09:00 – 16:00 and Fri from 09:00 – 14:00)
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