March 26, 2009
Part of the recently introduced 'Clean up Serbia' campaign is an initiative to solve the problem of mass use of plastic bags, according to Serbian news source Blic. Serbia's six plastic bag producers will, in cooperation with UK-based company Symphony Environmental, start producing biodegradable bags. Delta Maxi, Serbia's largest retail food chain, is already using biodegradable bags in its stores.
The most significant innovation in the production of biodegradable bags is the addition of D2W, which alters the characteristics of regular plastic. The lifetime of these bags is four years, and the final decomposition products are carbon dioxide, water, and even mould.
Aleksandar Vesić, assistant environment minister, emphasized his ministry's support for the action, and expressed the hope that other merchants will start replacing ordinary bags with biodegradable bags before the Packaging Law enters into force. The law is currently on the agenda for the next sitting of the National Assembly.
