The campaign is being organised by the Environment Ministry in cooperation with retailers, the Education Ministry, several trade associations and NGOs.

It will raise awareness about the harmful effects of excessive use of light plastic carrier bags on the environment. Rather than proper handling of waste bags, its focus will be on ways to reduce such waste through more sustainable consumption.

Shoppers and schoolchildren will be encouraged to use each plastic carrier bag as often as possible and thus contribute to the quality of their environment.

While it targets the broader public, the campaign is primarily aimed at educating children.

Being light, strong and cheap, plastic carrier bags are very popular among consumers, but they also create rubbish and threaten water eco-systems.

The most problematic are the thinnest of bags, which are rarely reused, which means they end up as waste faster. In the environment, they do not biodegrade for hundreds of years.

Through amendments to its packaging and waste packaging management directive, Slovenia has committed to reduce the use of lightweight plastic carrier bags to up to 90 per capita by 2019 and up to 40 by 2025.