site.btaOn International Plastic Bag Free Day, Expert Eleonora Yosifova Expresses Concern over Lack of Drastic Drop in Their Use

It is concerning that the use of plastic bags is not dramatically declining despite the opportunities available to replace them. Pollution to the environment remains serious, Eleonora Yosifova from the Zero Waste team of the For the Nature nongovernmental organization told BTA. International Plastic Bag Free Day, marked on July 3, draws attention to the issue, because Bulgarians use many plastic bags, particularly thin ones without handles, on a daily basis, the expert commented. 

According to Eurostat, almost 140 bags are used by Bulgarians annually, Yosifova said. She pointed out that no statistics are kept on the use of bags with and without handles.

International Plastic Bag Free Day has been celebrated since 2009 with the support of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) and the European organization Zero Waste Europe. The aim is to raise awareness in the international community about the environmental harm of plastic bags and to encourage people to use alternatives.