The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) entity plans to introduce a total ban on the use of plastic bags.
Currently, a new Decree on fees for plastic bags up to 50 microns in thickness is being prepared in the Federation of BiH and will apply to all bags regardless of the size and shape of the handles.
This applies to bags used in shops, pharmacies, markets, etc.
According to the decision of the European Commission starting in 2021, the production and use of all disposable plastics, such as plates, glasses, straws, biodegradable plastic, should be banned, and BiH must follow that way.
There are numerous reports on the harmfulness of plastic bags for the environment and human health, however, it is still widespread in BiH. According to the Federal Ministry of the Environment and Tourism, these bags are generally free of charge, resulting in more than a billion plastic bags being consumed annually.
They also add that the total fee paid to the Environmental Protection Fund of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina under the Decree on Payment of the Fee for Plastic Bags amounted to a total of 780,153 BAM for the accounting period 2014-2016.They note that people’s awareness of the harmfulness of plastic waste is very low, Avaz newspapers reports.
