A member of Ukraine’s Party of Regions has proposed a draft law that the country’s parliament restricts the use of plastic bags and packages that have a long period of delay, effective 1 July 2013. Draft law No. 2352 proposes a ban on the production, import, use and distribution of plastic bags at least 35 l in volume and 0.025 mm thick. The prohibition also includes cardboard, paper and paraffin packages, and extends to the use of plastic packages by foodstuff vendors and caterers, local media report. The ban most likely will not apply to bio-plastic bags, which degrade faster.

According to the explanatory note to the draft law, “In Ukraine, over 500 plastic bags are thrown away per capita every year. The bags are used for 20 minutes and their decay period is over 100 years.”