‘Burning one plastic bag causes more damage, than several days’ fuel used by a car’
“10 drams for a plastic bag”; according to Svetlana Andreasyan, the manager of “Nor Zovk” supermarket chain Hanrapetutyan 71 branch, the sale of bags has only environmental reasons, and the rumors that this step is done for commercial purpose is useless. “We sell products at very low prices; they are sold at cost price. Consequently the sale of bags cannot affect the number of customers.” According to the manager, the announcement of bags’ sale has been hung on the entrance door for already 2 days, but there have been no complaints.
Environmentalist Karine Panosyan says that we paid for those bags, simply that cost was included in the price of products, and we were presented that the bags were provided for free. “Second, it will keep the people alert, and when demanding an additional bag people will first think. The whole world is rejecting the use of plastic bags, but we are lavishly wasting it, harming our health and environment. Several days ago France officially banned the use of plastic bags.”
According to the environmentalist, polyethylene isn’t harmless material; everything is coordinated in nature, and everything decays, and the fact that polyethylene doesn’t decay, already proves its harmfulness. The food kept in it is also affected by chemical composition of polyethylene. Those materials may cause cancer and allergy.
“If speak from the point of view of nature, polyethylene may cause many problems, as it doesn’t decay. The residents of our country, especially in the villages, burn the bags, without knowing that burning one plastic bag causes more damage, than several days’ fuel used by a car.”
The environmentalist, together with the people, who have the same ideas, collects the items made of polyethylene and hands over to the processing plant, which has been operating in Yerevan for already 8 years, “If they hand it over to the processing plant, they will receive money and will not hurt the nature, our life and health.”
Last year a group of environmentalists held a discussion over this issue, and developed a number of proposals, among which payments for polyethylene products, using all the possible means for informing people, examination of experience of foreign countries and adoption of effective mechanisms. Environmentalists Karine Panosyan and Levon Galstyan met with the Director of “Sanitek” LLC, and proposed cooperation for singling out vehicles and boxes for plastic bags and containers. The director informed that it will cost much, as vehicles are needed, new equipment and he has no right to make any changes; the Yerevan Municipality has such a right.
“We are going to offer Yerevan Municipality so that waste management operator singles out one garbage bin for only plastic items, leaving a relevant note on them,” Levon Galsyan told “A1+”. The environmentalist stressed the importance of allocating separate areas for waste, where only plastic waste will be collected, which will ease the work of processing companies.
