During the All-Ukrainian Forum "Ukraine 30. Ecology", President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the Law "On Restricting the Circulation of Plastic Bags on the Territory of Ukraine" №1489-IX, which was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on June 1.
"500 - so many bags a year are used by every Ukrainian. 20 minutes - that's how much, on average, we use the bag. More than 100 years - that's how much one bag decomposes. A few seconds - that's how long it takes to sign this law," the President said during a speech at the forum.
The document regulates the circulation of plastic bags and aims to stimulate the development of production of biodegradable plastic bags.
In particular, the law prohibits the free distribution of plastic bags (except biodegradable) in retail and catering establishments. Plastic bags should only be provided for money. At the same time, retail prices for such bags may not be lower than the minimum prices set by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
It is also mandatory to label biodegradable plastic bags and set penalties for violating these rules.
The document shall enter into force on the day following its publication and shall be implemented six months after the date of its entry into force, except for its certain provisions.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also stressed the importance of another area of environmental policy - waste management and noted that a modern bill on this issue has been developed.
"Unfortunately, at a time when many countries are already recycling 99% of waste, only 6% in Ukraine are recycled. To date, a modern bill on waste management has been developed, which will introduce prevention of its generation, reuse, processing of waste into secondary raw materials and proper disposal," the President said.
