California Proposition 67

The measure will apply to all food stores

It is common knowledge today that plastic has a major impact on the environment. For this reason, environmental legislation for plastic production and consumption has been introduced at both European levels and within Bulgaria. The latest measure to reduce the "plastic soup" is the introduction of a plastic tax in the EU.

The number of single-use plastic bags used by shoppers has plummeted by 70 percent in one day since the introduction of a nationwide charge in Turkey on Jan. 1, Ahmet Varır, the head of a department spearheading the regulation at the Environment and Urbanization Ministry, has said.

Turkish people are set to see a variety of changes in daily life beginning on Jan. 1, with the most striking change to be seen in grocery stores, which will charge customers 0.25 Turkish Liras ($4 cents) for a single-use plastic bag under new regulations.

Three plastic bag manufacturers have shut down, output in the industry has dropped 80 percent and workers are being laid off as the plastics sector reels from the 0.04-euro environmental levy slapped on each single-use plastic bag since January 1.

Revenues from the sale of plastic bags at Greek supermarkets have reached about 4 million euros since the initiative was launched on January 1, according to the Research Institute of Retail Consumer Goods (IELKA).