Is it goodbye for plastic bags?

The most resilient enemy of soil is plastic bag. The plastic bag problem looms larger every day as they litter our environment and kill land animals and endangered marine life. The whole world is taking strides to eliminate the use of plastic bag and cut plastic waste, but the effort has not been as fruitful as hoped.

Mongolia too has joined this cause and has carried out projects and programs aimed to raise awareness about the disadvantages of plastic consumption. This summer, the government made an ambitious decision to ban plastic bags once and for all. The ban not prohibits not only use and sale but also import and production of plastic bags thinner than 0.035 millimeters. However, the thicker and more expensive plastic bags will still be in use and the government has promised to cut its use over time too.

The thin, nylon plastic bags were the first to be banned because it is the most commonly used type of plastic bag in Mongolia that makes up the majority of plastic wastes. According to the General Agency of Specialized Inspection, 40 percent of supply of thin plastic bag supply has already been cut down to date.

The ban will come into effect on March 1, 2019.