In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, Bahodour Sheralizoda, the head of the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of Tajikistan, noted on February 2 that the Committee jointly with the United Nations are currently discussing the possibility of imposing a ban on the import of some types of polyethylene bags into the country.
According to him, they are considering the issue of imposing the ban on the import into the country of disposable polyethylene materials up to 15 microns thick.
“The Committee proposes to the government to impose the ban on the import and use of polyethylene materials up to 15 micron at the legislative level. This issue is already under consideration by the government,” Sheralizoda noted.
He further added that they consider packaging made of rapidly decomposing materials as alternative to the banned polyethylene bags.
It is to be noted that plastic bags are difficult and costly to recycle and most end up on landfill sites where they take around 300 years to photodegrade. They break down into tiny toxic particles that contaminate the soil and waterways and enter the food chain when animals accidentally ingest them.
