The Junta de Andalucia has announced plans to create a new tax on plastic bags for single use, the rate being 10 cents.
At least, for the time being anyway, it is not being touted as a ‘green tax’ with the pretext of helping the environment, as it is just another way of making money. If any government was concerned about protecting the environment from the perils of plastic bags they would, or should, just ban them.
There are so-called ‘green taxes’ on many things, such as cars, but it doesn’t result in fewer vehicles on the road, just more revenue for the governments.
In this case, the manufacturers of the plastic bags accuse the government of not knowing anything about the industry. They point out that a plastic bag currently costs a large commercial concern about 1.5 cents, which makes a 10 cent tax ludicrous, the tax being seven times the value of the product.
In 2008 an attempt was made to introduce a similar tax on plastic bags for single use in Cataluña but this was roundly rejected by the Catalan parliament.