Germany will enforce a ban on plastic shopping bags, according to the country's environment minister.
This will come in to place because voluntary agreements with retailers to curb usage have been sufficient, Svenja Schulze said on Sunday.
"My ministry will get a plastic bag ban on its way," she said,.
She did not give a timetable for the plan.
She added that her aim was "that we get out of the throw-away society and that overall, we use less plastic".
The European Union will outlaw certain single-use plastic products such as straws, forks and knives from 2021.
However, it has allowed transition times for others.
