Cabinet nod to ban selected polythene and plastic products

The approval of the Cabinet of Ministers has been granted to ban certain polythene and plastic products and to introduce alternatives for them.

The proposal was presented to the Cabinet by the Minister of Environment in line with the discussions held with the stakeholders managing polythene and plastic waste.

Accordingly, the Cabinet gave the nod to ban the following products with effect from January 01, 2021, in view of reducing the single-use plastic and polythene waste:

• Prohibiting packaging of chemicals or pesticides in Poly Ethylene Terephthalate (PET) and Vinyl Chloride (PVC) containers and promoting the use of packaging made of glass or other raw materials as an alternative
• Prohibiting sachets made of polythene and plastic less than 20ml / 20g and endorsing the use of packages of 100ml / 100g or more as an alternative (excluding food and medicine)
• Prohibiting various inflatable toys made of plastic (excluding balloons, balls and floating toys) and introducing the use of toys made of eco-friendly and hygienic raw material as an alternative
• Banning plastic cotton buds (excluding hygiene products) and encouraging the use of cotton buds made from biodegradable materials as an alternative
• Mandating the indication of 1-7 codes internationally recommended to promote the recycling of all plastic products

Regulations such as the ban on the production of polythene of 20 microns or less, a ban on the manufacture of polythene food wrappers and a ban on the burning of polythene in the open environment were enacted with effect from the 1st of September 2017 in order to reduce the environmental damage caused by polythene and plastic use in the country.

Steps were also taken by the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) to promote an alternative to the banned polythene while those regulations are in force.