ATHENS – Use of light plastic bags plunged 98.6 pct in supermarkets in 2019 compared with 2017 while Greek households purchased more than 17 million reusable bags in the last three years, the Research Institute of Retail Consumer Goods (IELKA) said in a report released on Wednesday.

The report was based on figures collected by largre supermarket chains in 2019, accompanied by estimates over trends prevailing in other retail sales points. Around 1.75 billion less light plastic bags were distributed in 2017, with per capita consumption of plastic bags in supermarkets falling from 167 to two.

Distribution of bio-degradable light plastic bags was close to zero in 2017, soared to 37 million units in 2019.

IELKA said that this drastic change in purchasing behaviour of consumers also affected other aspects of daily lives, with garbage bags rising 40 pct in 2019 compared with 2017.