Countdown to 5 cent levy on plastic bags on 1 July

[Paphos Life]

Cyprus will step up its battle against plastic with the introduction of a 5 cent levy on plastic bags at points of sale as from 1 July. But weeks before implementation of the new law, the Environment Service is still looking for ways to inspect and ensure compliance with the law....

Read the article and chat about it below...

[trevnhil]

Some stores of course are already charging for plastic bags.. We certainly reuse more of our plastic bags than we did previously

[Dominic]

In the UK it was the same.

I really hope this will be as successful here as it was in the UK. It worked much better than everybody expected there.

Oh, and when I visited the Polis Green Point today, there was a Cypriot couple emptying their car of rubbish. So Cypriots do use it too.

[Ramone]

It will take a short time to get used to it for some people but when there's money involved I'm sure all will catch on pretty swiftly. Lol

[trevnhil]

I wonder where the 5cents goes to. Does the shop get it or the government ?

[memory man]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/artic ... g-ban.html

[memory man]

I wonder if the charity shops etc. will charge 5 cents
for a carrier bag ( probably some Supermarkets ) when
you buy something!!

[trevnhil]

As far as I am aware there has not been an answer to my question as to who gets the 5 cents.. The shop or the government.
Apologies if I have missed the answer

[galexinda]

There will be additional delays at the till as the cashier will have to total the number of bags used, so from now on will not just be looking for the shortest queue but the one where most of the customers already have adequate bags for their shopping. I'll just tell the cashier at the beginning that I will be using my own bags and check the receipt before I leave the till.

[memory man]

Paps have a notice at each checkout that the charge for plastic carrier bag from July 1
will be...………….. 6 cents.

[trevnhil]

It has worked well at Lidl in Cyprus for a few years I don't foresee any problems

[PolemIan]

Trev, I’m pretty certain I read somewhere a couple of weeks ago that the retailers are mandated to reinvest takings from the bags into recycling initiatives - whether that’s though their own initiatives or paid back to a central fund I’m not sure. I know I read it, but can’t for the life of me remember where. It’s an age thing!

Ian

[galexinda]

I see one tea shop will be charging €1 per bag and donating it to Cancer Patients Support charity.

[smudger]

The charity shops, well at least the Bookshop in Tremithousa, use recycled bags brought in by our customers, and I'm pretty sure other charity shops do the same!! So we're doing our best to recycle until they disintegrate!!

[memory man]

Plastic bag use slumps 80% in supermarkets with new law

Consumers are shunning plastic bags since the introduction of a €0.05 fee on their use under an EU mandated law aimed at fighting pollution was implemented on July 1.

In supermarkets, use of plastic bags has plummeted by 80% while in kiosks it is down between 70% and 75%, Philenews reported on Monday.

The Environment Service, which is responsible for monitoring implementation of the law, said that the consumers have quickly adapted to the new regime. It said there had been some isolated instances where the fee was not imposed — as required by law — and the individuals in question have been warned. No fines have yet been imposed.

Andreas Hadjiadamou of the Supermarkets Association told philenews that the compulsory fee has let to a dramatic plunge in the use of plastic bags.

“People have adapted to the new measure, use of plastic bags is down between 80% and 85%, while shoppers are increasingly using reusable bags,” he said

Under the law, which came into force on July 1, single use plastic bags are subject to a fee of €0.05 plus VAT per item.

http://in-cyprus.com/news/local/plastic ... h-new-law/

[trevnhil]

I don't think we have bought any single use plastic bags in the last 3 weeks.. We make sure we take bags with us when we do the shopping.

[Dominic]

It's already been a tremendous success I think. And Cypriots have been perfectly able to cope.

[Varky]

Right, so everyone now uses the recyclable bags when shopping. Now before the levy, we used the plastic bags as liners for our small rubbish bins in the kitchen and bathroom. As we no longer have said plastic bags we have to buy rolls of these plastic bags, which are still readily available in supermarkets. My question is, are the rolls of plastic bags that we purchase made from biodegradable plastic. If not, what was the point? Or should we not be using plastic bags as liners for our small rubbish bins?

[galexinda]

The number of small bags being used for fruit and vegetables has increased and have seen more of these used for rubbish in the green skips near our apartment block since the beginning of the month. Alternatively the rubbish is just going directly into the bins creating a health hazard.

[Jimgym]

Right, so everyone now uses the recyclable bags when shopping. Now before the levy, we used the plastic bags as liners for our small rubbish bins in the kitchen and bathroom. As we no longer have said plastic bags we have to buy rolls of these plastic bags, which are still readily available in supermarkets. My question is, are the rolls of plastic bags that we purchase made from biodegradable plastic. If not, what was the point? Or should we not be using plastic bags as liners for our small rubbish bins?

I know Alpha Mega sell biodegradable ones as I bought some a few weeks ago.