Environment Minister Attila Korodi announced on Friday his intention to forbid the offering of free plastic bags in stores. Korodi says that the measure will encourage people to use textile bags, thus reducing the pollution with slow decomposition in the biodegradation process. Quality bags take 100 years to decompose, said the Environment Minister, who adds that the measure may come into force at the beginning of 2009.
Korodi also takes into account supplementary taxes for stores which chose to continue to offer free plastic bags. Similar measures were already adopted in China and South Africa, while discussions were initiated in EU.
