Cambodia to introduce charges for plastic bags
In what could be a role model for other Southeast Asian countries, most of all Thailand, supermarket shoppers in Cambodia by law may soon be charged for using plastic bags as part of government measures to ramp up environment protection and reduce waste.
A sub-decree will also set restrictions on the import of plastic bags and encourage people to switch to reusable alternatives, reported local newspaper Khmer Times on October 19.
The measures include the promotion of public engagement programmes to reduce plastic bags use and encouraging the private sector to either recycle the bags or produce them with biodegradable materials to reduce the number of an estimated ten million plastic bags that are used in Phnom Penh daily.
The sub-decree was issued to tackle rising consumption of plastic bags, said Heng Nareth, director-general of the ministry’s environmental protection department.
“We also want to encourage the use of natural environments such as paper or leaf instead,” Nareth added.
Inter-ministerial officials will meet with supermarket owners to determine pricing, reported Khmer Times. The additional charges to the use of plastic bags will be implemented throughout the country by 2020.
In what could be a role model for other Southeast Asian countries, most of all Thailand, supermarket shoppers in Cambodia by law may soon be charged for using plastic bags as part of government measures to ramp up environment protection and reduce waste. A sub-decree will also set restrictions on the import of plastic bags and encourage people to switch to reusable alternatives, reported local newspaper Khmer Times on October 19. The measures include the promotion of public engagement programmes to reduce plastic bags use and encouraging the private sector to either recycle the bags or produce them with biodegradable...
In what could be a role model for other Southeast Asian countries, most of all Thailand, supermarket shoppers in Cambodia by law may soon be charged for using plastic bags as part of government measures to ramp up environment protection and reduce waste.
A sub-decree will also set restrictions on the import of plastic bags and encourage people to switch to reusable alternatives, reported local newspaper Khmer Times on October 19.
The measures include the promotion of public engagement programmes to reduce plastic bags use and encouraging the private sector to either recycle the bags or produce them with biodegradable materials to reduce the number of an estimated ten million plastic bags that are used in Phnom Penh daily.
The sub-decree was issued to tackle rising consumption of plastic bags, said Heng Nareth, director-general of the ministry’s environmental protection department.
“We also want to encourage the use of natural environments such as paper or leaf instead,” Nareth added.
Inter-ministerial officials will meet with supermarket owners to determine pricing, reported Khmer Times. The additional charges to the use of plastic bags will be implemented throughout the country by 2020.
