2021-12-20T20:30:00+02:00 Economy 2023-03-15T05:17:45+02:00

Ukrainian news

Ukrainian news

Every Ukrainian Uses 500 Plastic Bags A Year, 5.6 Times more Than In EU - Health Ministry

Every Ukrainian Uses 500 Plastic Bags A Year, 5.6 Times more Than In EU - Health Ministry

Every Ukrainian uses almost 500 plastic bags a year, which is 5.6 times more than in the countries of the European Union.

The Ministry of Health has said this in a statement, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"According to expert estimates, every Ukrainian uses almost 500 plastic bags annually, while in the EU countries this figure averages 90. Out of 40,000 tons of plastic in Ukraine, only 6% is recycled. In Europe, the utilization rate reaches 70%," the statement says.

According to Minister of Health Viktor Liashko, the increase in the production and use of plastic over the past 20 years has led to an increase in endocrine system diseases due to the chemicals contained in plastic, the so-called endocrine disruptors.

According to him, the main endocrine disruptors include persistent organic pollutants, most of which are found in plastic or in its decay products.

It is noted that the establishment by the Cabinet of Ministers of minimum retail prices for plastic bags will contribute to a gradual decrease in the volume of their use, improve the state of environmental safety and, in the long term, will have a positive impact on the health of Ukrainians.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the Cabinet of Ministers has set the minimum retail prices for plastic bags in the range of UAH 2-3 per piece.