Plastic Bag Law to Increase Paper Imports

In 2019, Azerbaijan will pass a law banning the use of disposable plastic bags 20 microns thick that are harmful to human health and the environment, said Umaira Taghiyeva, head of the Environmental Education and Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources. A few days ago, another official from the Ministry of Environment issued a call for citizens to abandon the use of plastic bags and switch to the purchase and storage of food products in paper bags, which are non-toxic and easily decomposed in nature. Plastic bags decompose in nature for 100-500 years.

In Azerbaijan, plastic bags for trade are manufactured by Gilan Holding, El-Plastik LLC and other private companies. The production grows every year. The country produced 5,600 tons of plastic bags and packets in 2015, 7,832.6 tons in 2016, and 10,697.9 tons in 2017. There is no shortage of raw materials for such production in the country, since according to the State Statistics Committee, the amount of plastic waste suitable for recycling in the production of bags increases annually. In 2015, there were 0.4 thousand tons of such waste, in 2016, 1.7 thousand tons, and in 2017 - 2.5 thousand tons. So, if strict restrictive measures are not urgently introduced, in 2019 the volume of production of hazardous products can grow up to 3 thousand tons, and the mass of waste can reach up to 1.5 million tons. Data for 2018 are not provided by the State Statistics Committee.

Given the amount of plastic bags and packets produced in Azerbaijan last year, we can say that, after the ban, trade will need the same, and in subsequent years - even a larger volume of similar paper products. Gilan Holding and other companies will have to curtail the production of plastic bags, and to manufacture paper package. There is no local raw material for such products in Azerbaijan, since all paper is imported into the country, mainly from Russia. Consequently, paper imports into the country will increase.

Despite the import origin of paper, paper bags in wholesale are no more expensive than plastic. Paper bags in Baku are offered at 3 manat per kilogram of packages, depending on the size. In one kilogram there can be 150-300 packets, depending on the size. Plastic bags in El-Plastik LLC are sold for 3.5-5 manat per kilogram. Consequently, switching to paper bags in packaging products will have little effect on the final cost of purchases, and if the government imposes a tax on plastic bags, then packaging products in plastic will become unprofitable and will continue only for specific products (fish, cheese, etc.)

Production of plastic bags is a profitable business that started in America in the fifties of the last century. Transparent disposable bags made a real revolution, and they began to be used everywhere. But the euphoria did not last long. Now many countries impose a restriction or a ban on their use, because people have realized the harm of plastic bags for the environment and human health.

Azerbaijan lags behind Georgia, which adopted a law banning plastic bags in September 2018. Such packages are prohibited in selected countries in Africa and Europe. Monetary restrictions on the use of plastic bags work effectively in the UK, where 5 pence taxes on one plastic bag were introduced in 2015 after the number of packages used by customers increased from 6 billion in 2010 to 7.6 billion in 2015. The average buyer per year used 140 packs. 7.6 billion plastic bags are 61,000 tons of plastic waste. As a result of the introduction of restrictions in only one of the networks operating in the UK, the number of packages that customers take has dropped by 30 million per week. Several supermarket chains give the proceeds from the sale of packages to various projects dedicated to environmental protection. Overall, the use of plastic bags in the UK fell by 85%.

Not all stores are subject to the tax law, but only those with 250 full-time employees. There are exceptions for certain products, including meat, fish, prescription drugs, seeds, flowers, live fish. Of course, in the UK and other countries tax is not charged on paper bags.

Denmark has introduced a significant tax on the distribution of disposable plastic bags in stores. This immediately reduced their use by 90 percent.

In Finland, there are vending machines in the outlets that accept used plastic bags for recycling.

In Russia, environmentalists have not achieved official restrictions on the distribution of plastic products. Social activists are constantly working in this direction, telling people about the dangers of packages and urging them to purchase safe environmental packaging for products.

Plastic bags can be harmful to health, as highly toxic lead is used in their production. Its accumulation in the body causes the development of many diseases. In order to advertise them, they often put logos of firms on polyethylene, making bags of bright, catchy color. Chemical glue is often used to join the seams of the packaging; which can adversely affect the products. It is proved that products in a plastic bag begin to deteriorate faster, because there are a lot of bacteria on polyethylene. In a tightly closed transparent bag, condensation forms, in which mold develops quickly. When polyethylene is exposed to freezing, toxins that are dangerous to humans are released from it. Semi-finished food products are especially harmful. Many manufacturers recommend heating and cooking them right in the package, although scientists have proven that toxic gas, formaldehyde, is released from plastic due to the high temperature.