EAEU countries intend to ban single-use plastic

In the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), they intend to introduce a phased ban on the use of plastic bags. Belarus supports the measures, RUSSIA is ready to discuss them. The positions of the countries are reflected in the documents following the results of the meeting on the development of cooperation between EAEU enterprises in the field of consumption waste processing (Izvestia has it). The draft strategy plan, which involves the rejection of single-use plastic, is planned to be approved by the end of March, the Ministry of Economic Development told Izvestia.

The development strategy of the Eurasian economic integration until 2025 provides for studying the issue of introducing a phased ban on the import and production of single-use plastic, including bags, Izvestia was told in the press service of the EEC. The commission is preparing an appropriate plan, they added.

“One of the most important areas of economic cooperation between the EAEU member states is to join efforts to implement joint large-scale high-tech projects, including in the field of green technologies and environmental protection,” the EEC said.

The issue of a phased ban on single-use plastic was already considered in 2020 at a meeting on the development of cooperation between enterprises of the EAEU. The Ministry of Nature of Belarus considers it expedient “within the framework of the strategic directions for the development of Eurasian economic integration until 2025, to leave the implementation of an event that allows for a phased ban on the import and production of single-use plastic, including bags,” the ministry’s letter to the EEC says (Izvestia has "). Izvestia sent a request to the Ministry of Natural Resources of Belarus.

In a letter from the Russian Ministry of Economic Development to the EEC, it is said that it is possible to “discuss measures related to the production, import and ban on single-use plastic.”

A draft plan for the implementation of the Strategy for the Development of Eurasian Economic Integration is being coordinated, Izvestia was told in the Ministry of Economics. The document is supposed to include specific measures to introduce a phased ban on the import and production of single-use plastic, the ministry said. They intend to approve the project in the first quarter of 2021, they said.

The Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia also advocates a reduction in the import and production of plastic that affects environmental pollution, the department told Izvestia. One of the effective mechanisms to minimize its presence can be recycling in accordance with the concept of extended producer responsibility (EPR). The involvement of “useful” waste from manufactured goods into circulation will reduce the damage to nature and preserve renewable resources for future generations, the ministry said.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia supports the idea of ​​a phased reduction and withdrawal from circulation of certain types of disposable and hard-to-process goods: containers, dishes and packaging, the department told Izvestia.

“However, it is necessary to take into account the environmental and economic consequences, taking into account possible alternatives. In particular, to calculate the environmental friendliness of products and materials from the point of view of the entire life cycle, and not just the disposal stage, the Ministry of Industry and Trade emphasized.

In the EAEU member states, there are developments in terms of banning the production and consumption of single-use plastic. Thus, Armenia from 2023 and Kazakhstan from 2025 plan to introduce a complete ban on the sale of plastic bags. In Kyrgyzstan, it is proposed to ban the use of plastic bags and plastic containers in the Issyk-Kul region. In Belarus, since the beginning of this year, there have been restrictions on the use of disposable tableware at certain public catering facilities.

Products made from single-use plastic really need to be banned, as they cause damage to the environment, says Yulia Vasiltsova, CEO and CEO of the TD Spektr-Pak production holding. Plastic dishes can be replaced with cardboard or biodegradable corn fiber. With the development of such production, products can be even cheaper than plastic ones, she noted. In stores, disposable bags are more difficult to replace, since they cost about 5 rubles, and paper ones cost 25–50 rubles, the expert added.

“It is wrong to shift the costs to the consumer, so it is advisable to work out programs for state subsidies for the transition to paper bags,” Yulia Vasiltsova believes.

The Association of Producers and Processors of Polyethylene Terephthalate (ARPET) also supports a ban on single-use plastic bags, including garbage ones. Instead, PET bags and films from recycled materials should be used, the president of the association, Natalia Selezneva, expressed her opinion.

Paper or cardboard packaging is not suitable for a number of goods, such as chilled MEAT, fish, and some fruits, the Ministry of Industry and Trade indicated. In addition, a complete ban on plastic could lead to excessive costs for manufacturers, retailers and, as a result, consumers. And also to the inability to comply with hygiene and food safety requirements, the ministry added.

World practice shows that bans are not the main tool for solving the problem, the Ministry of Industry and Trade noted. Thus, the UN report “Single-use plastic: the path to sustainable development” considered more than 140 legislative initiatives aimed at combating environmental pollution with plastic bags, they added there.

- Any business, including the production of disposable bags, will protect its capital. Therefore, stimulus measures work better than bans. Producing disposable should be less profitable than recyclable. Increased eco-collection rates are the best reason to think about whether it is time to choose a different form or material for production,” said Natalya Belyaeva, deputy chairman of the committee for recycling and secondary resources of Delovaya Rossiya.

Retailers support the idea of ​​reducing plastic waste, Artyom Sokolov, president of the Association of Internet Trade Companies (AKIT), told Izvestia. Many Russian stores are already following the path of plastic recycling and recycling, developing responsible consumption projects. Reusable bags can be used as an alternative to plastic bags, he suggests.

“We don’t have a goal to close down the entire plastics industry — there are hundreds of factories and thousands of jobs. But it is important to move away from single use. A phase-out is quite possible, but it is difficult to name a specific date for a complete ban,” Artem Sokolov believes.

The X5 Retail Group promotes the responsible use of resources and is already promoting the idea among its customers, Izvestia was told in the group.

— It is difficult to talk about any specific deadlines for the rejection of plastic. In Europe, this did not happen overnight. It is necessary, on the one hand, to prepare the minds of people, and on the other hand, to offer worthy alternatives, - Izvestia was told in the Globus hypermarket chain.

The bill on limiting greenhouse emissions may affect major players in the agro-industrial complex

Over the past few years, more and more buyers are interested in environmental issues, the company said. For example, more than 4,000 kg of plastic have been handed over to vending machines for collecting waste for recycling in the five months since the start of the project, the network said. But it is still too early to talk about the complete readiness of the Russians to switch to separate waste collection, the company believes.