Azerbaijan's ecology ministry talks controlling plastic pollution

7 January 2021 14:43 (UTC+04:00)

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The fight against plastic waste in world practice is carried out in stages, Sayyara Mammadova, Head of the Environmental Education and Public Relations Department of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, said, Trend reports.

According to the Plan of Measures to Reduce the Negative Impact of Plastic Waste on the Environment, signed by the head of state in February 2019, the use of plastic and disposable plastic tableware will gradually decrease, Maamadov said.

She reminded that the ban on the use of plastic bags up to 15 microns thick has been in force since January 1: “These include thin bags often used in daily life. As for the question of why exactly these bags are prohibited, I will answer that they are not suitable for recycling, and in windy weather, they spread because of their lightness, thereby polluting water bodies and soil. Food products are also stored in these bags. When the temperature changes, harmful substances are mixed with the food, posing a threat to human health. An alternative could be paper packaging, biodegradable bags, and packaging, tissue bags.