Jan. 10, 2011
Bulgaria's Ministry of Environment has made a proposal to use economic means to limit the use of plastic bags in the country. A tax on polyethelene bags, announced on January 6 by the Bulgarian Polymer Association (BAP), is expected come into effect from July 1, 2011.
According to Sofia-based news agency Novinite.com, BAP and local retailers have complained that there is too little time to adjust their operations if they are to comply with the proposed policy. They also worry about 'shady' imports of plastic bags. There is, however, strong public support for the initiative, with 86 percent of the public saying that restrictions on plastic bags will lead to greener lifestyles, according to an official online poll. In any case, the Ministry of Environment and several large chain stores have agreed to give the proposal a try, Environment Minister Nona Kradzhova told the press in November last year.
As a result of the tax, plastic bags will become approximately three times more expensive by 2014, thus allowing the possibility for more environmental friendly alternatives to replace them in the market. "Retailers will most likely cease the use of plastic bags by July and add the tax to the price of their products, which will then be passed on to end users," argued BAP Deputy Chairman Tsvetanka Todorova.
Recent reports show that Bulgaria, compared to other countries, consumes a proportionately high rate of plastic bags. Novinite.come, quoting data from the National Statistics Institute, said that Bulgaria produced 8,019 tonnes of plastic packaging (or, 263 per capita) in 2007, compared to just 65 in Germany.
Similar taxes on plastic bags have been highly successful in countries such as Austria, Canada, Ireland and the Netherlands, where there has been use reduction of up to 90 percent. Belgium, France, and recently, Italy, have gone even further by introducing comprehensive bans. The movement to eradicate plastic bags is currently gaining momentum as well in both Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
