The plenum of the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday adopted the Government Ordinance No. 6/2021 on reducing the impact of certain plastic products on the environment.

The draft aims to prevent and reduce the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, especially on the aquatic environment and on human health, as well as to promote the transition to a circular economy with innovative and sustainable business models, products and materials.

„In order to achieve a measurable quantitative reduction in the consumption of single-use plastic products (drinking glasses, including their lids, food containers, such as boxes with or without lids, used to contain food products), economic operators that introduce these products on the national market are obliged to progressively reduce the quantities introduced on the market as follows: 5% for 2023, 10% for 2024, 15% for 2025 and 20% for 2026, compared to 2022. Economic operators that retail such single-use plastic products, as well as economic operators that use these products for the purpose of marketing their own products, are obliged to offer the consumer the possibility of choosing reusable alternatives, suitable and sustainable alternatives or alternatives that do not contain plastic at points of sale,” the draft states.

Another article refers to single-use plastic products that are collected separately – beverage bottles with a capacity of up to 3 litres, including their caps and lids. Starting with 2030, these products must contain recycled plastic in a proportion of at least 30%, calculated as an average for all such bottles introduced on the national market.

The project was also adopted by the Senate, and the Chamber of Deputies is the decision-making body in this case. AGERPRES