New Fee on Use of Plastic Bags Introduced

19 September 2008

Bird trapped in a plastic bag

The changes in the Rulebook on Discarded Packaging and Waste introduces a compensation fee for producers of plastic bags of 1,500 HRK per ton of produced bags, the biggest such fee compared to other types of packaging since the fee was first introduced in April of this year, reports the Alert portal.

- Eko Velebit, the concessionaire, is responsible for the organization of a system of collection of this type of waste, contributing to reduction of its participation in the total communal waste and in the environment in general � the Ministry of Environmental Protection responded to Alert`s question on the petition for ban on use of plastic bags, initiated by Animal Friends Croatia.

The Ministry adds taht the fee has double effect � it takes away the stimulation to produce and use plastic bags and promotes collection and recycling of those bags already in the market place.

According to the 2000 data listed in the national Strategy for Waste Management, about 1.2 million tons of communal waste is produced in Croatia each year. Expert estimates are that plastic bags account to between 10 and 15,000 tons in the total communal waste.

Animal Friends Croatia, with the support of about a dozen environmental associations, warn in their petition for total ban on use of plastic bags that in addition to pollution of human habitat, they have lethal effect on wildlife with animals frequently getting entangled or suffocate while trying to eat discarded plastic bags.

The petition which will be signed at the ZeGeVege festival that starts on September 20 in Zagreb demands ban on distribution of plastic bag in retail stores and measures for promotion of use of multiple use canvas bags and fully biodegradable plastic bags.