Plastic bags to be banned in Kazakhstan
In 4 years, Kazakhstan plans to abandon the use of plastic bags, 24.kz reports.
One enterprise in Karaganda alone produces up to 4 million plastic bags a month. Raw materials are purchased in Russia and Uzbekistan. 200 tons are enough for a year, because part of the waste is reused. Biodegradable plant materials will cost many times more, businessmen say. According to them, in order to switch to biodegradable raw materials, it is necessary to upgrade the entire production line. The upgrade will cost the company at least 40 million tenge. Annual stocks of raw materials will also increase by 20%.
According to businessmen, transition to biodegradable packaging will immediately affect the price. Even if customers, as before, pick up shopping bags (avoska), the packages made from plant materials will tell on the cost of products.
The consumer will feel it at once. As soon as the law takes effect, and as soon as we are obliged to work on biodegradable materials, this will seriously hit the wallet of every person. If now, for example, polyethylene costs, roughly speaking, $ 2 per kilogram of raw materials, from which we make polyethylene film, then biodegradable, real material from starch - 8 euros per kilogram,"says Renat Minkhairov, director of the polyethylene film production.
Environmentalists are studying international experience and, first of all, suggest starting by banning free packages at the shop counters. The fixed price, according to experts, would discourage buyers from taking them in unlimited quantities.
Since this year, Germany has banned tight bags, leaving only thin bags that have nothing to replace. These are garbage bags. Garbage bags are very thin, they have 10-15 microns. They believe that they can recycle them in garbage processing factories. Environmentalists, engineers must make calculations with economists. The first option: we refuse from such a container, we replace it. How much does it cost? " - Development Director of the Karaganda Ecomuseum NGO Dmitry Kalmykov says.
Karaganda resident Rinat Kagazgaliev has already figured out how to make paper bags free for the consumer. A year and a half ago, he implemented ecological bread packaging project. However, the first batch of 10 thousand paper bags was the last. There was no demand, and he closed the business and now hopes for a second chance.
The environmental harm of plastic bags has long been proven, and many countries introduced bans or restrictions on their production. The project, which will outlaw disposable plastic, will be presented by the Eurasian Economic Union to the world community in March.
According to the Karaganda businessmen, if the "garbage problem" is eliminated, then polyethylene will not have to be abandoned either. The main thing is to solve sorting of the household waste. By the way, today more than 150 landfills of the region do not meet the standards.
“The only correct decision is, finally, to start the correct and adequate disposal of all polymers. When polymers are brought to the landfill, they are not sorted, not removed, although people get money for this. Nothing like that happens. They are buried in the ground. These are endless recycled materials. They can be constantly used. And what is no longer recyclable can be used to make gasoline, "said Renat Minkhairov, director of polyethylene film production.
There are more than 10 packaging manufacturers in the Karaganda region. All of them are thinking about a painless transition. And if large companies upgrade production, then small ones will simply disappear from the market, experts say.
Source: Kazpravda.kz
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