CYPRUS: Cypriots to smash EU target for reducing plastic bag use

Cyprus is on course to smash an EU directive to bring down plastic bag use per person from 140 per year to just 20 earlier than expected.

 The Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEB) is impressed with the response of Cypriots towards compulsory charge on plastic bags at supermarkets and shops introduced on July 1.

The island’s biggest supermarkets say that up to 85% less bags were given at tills since the five-euro cent charge on plastic carrier bags was introduced.

OEB said that up to 30 June, an average of 140 plastic bags from supermarkets were used by each person per year, while the EU policy target is to reduce the use to 90 bags per person by 2019 and to 40 by 2025.

“If the results of the first few weeks stabilise, this number will be reduced to 21 bags per person per year, which will ensure that the 2025 directive target is reached as early as 2018,” said OEB.

It congratulated consumers on their awareness, and their conformance to a measure which “aims at protecting the environment and sea ecosystems”.

The federation also extended its congratulations to the government, and the EU for being “a worldwide pioneer in taking measures to protect the environment and tackle climate change”.

The European Union adopted at the beginning of 2018, the European Strategy on Plastics in the cyclical economy, the aim of which is to promote radical changes in the way in which plastic products are designed, produced, used and recycled in Europe.

“According to the strategy, in 2030 only recyclable plastic packaging will be available in the European Union market, and the use of disposable plastic products (straws, plastics, dishes, glasses, cutlery etc.) and microplastics will be drastically reduced,” said OEV.