Plastic shopping bag

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 Ministry of Environment and Urbanization has decided to collect taxes from manufacturers and importers of oil, electronic goods, pharmaceuticals and beverage packaging under the name of "recovery share."

The Greek market appears ready to rise to the challenge set by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis regarding a forthcoming ban on all single-use plastics, business representatives told Xinhua.

Mitsotakis announced last Monday from New York, where he was for the UN Climate Action Summit, that single-use plastics will be banned across Greece as of 2021.

The use of plastic carrier bags in Greece has dropped by up to 85 percent since the introduction of the eco-tax on lightweight bags a year ago, data by the Hellenic Recycling Agency (EOAN) show.

Meanwhile revenues from the levy, which was introduced to help reduce litter and protect wildlife, are estimated at 7.7 million euros, according to the same data.

Chile has become the first South American country to legally ban the widespread commercial use of plastic bags.

The new legislation, approved by Congress and enacted by President Sebastián Piñera, gives small shops two years to adapt to a total ban.

Larger business will have six months to stop using plastic bags.

The minister added that it "turned out there was no need to immediately ban plastic bags, since charging them in big retail chains is producing good results."

Asked whether plastic bags would in fact be banned, Trivan said this was the goal that is being "moved toward," and noted that 30 countries have done it so far.

Just a month in, an initiative aimed at reducing consumers' dependence on plastic carrier bags by charging for them appears to be bearing fruit, as some supermarkets have recorded a drop of as much as 50 percent.

Supermarkets and retail stores will stop giving out free plastic bags in the new year as part of efforts to curb environmental pollution caused by the extensive use by of non-biodegradable carrier bags.

"No more plastic bags," newspaper titles touted on August 10, after the publication of a joint ministerial decree announcing that consumers would have to pay 3 cents for each plastic shopping bag used as of January 1, 2018, and 7 cents as of January 1, 2019.

Istanbul's Princes' Islands municipality has banned the use of plastic bags on its five inhabited islands.

The ban, which was issued by the council of the municipality, will come into effective at the businesses of the islands by May 1.