Around 85% less plastic carrier bags have been distributed at supermarket tills, an impressive slump in demand in a matter of weeks since the compulsory charge was introduced on July 1.
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The government introduced a 5-euro cent charge on each plastic bag made available at stores and supermarkets.
To the surprise of many environmentalists, Cypriots took to the measure with relative ease and without a fuss as first feared but instead are bringing their own bags.
“People have accepted the new measure without any reaction, and as result the country’s supermarkets have handed out almost 85% less plastic carrier bags. We see people coming into the stores with their own reusable bags,” said Andreas Hadjiadamou, General Secretary of the Supermarket Association.
He added that people were even commenting that the measure should had been introduced much earlier.
Hadjiadamou said that supermarkets had been pathing the way for the implementation of the legislation, while urging people to buy one of the reusable bags sold at the counter.
“We had also organised events in cooperation with the Environmental Commissioner’s office where we gave out free reusable shopping bags and leaflets on protecting the environment through limiting plastic use,” he added.
Hadjiadamou noted that the association will continue its efforts to inform the public on ways to protect the environment while shopping.
Green MP Charalambos Theopemptou, said that the measure has gone surprisingly well.
“Usually, the application of this measure is met with reactions by people who did not deem the charge necessary. This is the stage we are going through right now, but with no serious reactions apart from the few people who put forward arguments like ‘do you think charging five cents per bag will save the environment?”
Theopemptou said that the Parliament’s environmental committee will be reevaluating the situation after a few months to decide on whether more measures will be necessary to further reduce the use of plastic bags in stores across the island.
He said that MPs may even consider increasing the price up or completely prohibit the use of plastic bags altogether.
The former environmental commissioner added that the fight against the use of plastic materials which contaminated the environment does not end with reducing the use of the plastic bag.
“The European Commission has issued a list of another 10 products, the use of which must at least be reduced. Amongst them baby wipes, cotton earbuds, fishermen’s nets and plastic fiber found in clothes,” said Theopemptou.
The five-cent surcharge is on every plastic bag given for carrying goods at cash tills, at all outlets including pharmacies, kiosks, bakeries and specialty stores.
Small nylon bags and bags used to hold fruit, meat, or vegetables are not charged.
It was supposed to begin six months earlier, when January 2018 was the deadline set by the European Union.
Money collected from plastic bag tariff will go to a special fund operated by Green Dot and managed by the Department of the Environment to be invested in public environmental awareness campaigns.
Lidl Cyprus says it will be the first supermarket to stop selling its disposable plastic bags from January 1, 2019.
The world is currently producing nearly 300 million tons of plastic each year – a large amount of which will end up in the oceans.
Although plastic is a useful product, many of these products are created for single-use – with an estimated 50% of plastic used once and thrown away.
Not only is this harmful to the environment and the oceans, but it is also harmful to wildlife – where it impacts nearly 700 species in the ocean, and humans.
Ingesting plastic has life-threatening effects on wildlife – and this plastic eventually ends up being digested by humans.
And half of all plastic manufactured becomes trash in less than a year.
