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Argentina |
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Buenos Aires |
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Buenos Aires province, Argentina - The government of Buenos Aires province mandated biodegradable bags and banned give away polyethylene plastic bags in September 2008. |
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Brazil |
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• Resources indicate there are a number of measures being considered within the country of Brazil with regard to retail bag regulation. Currently, DEP is attempting to verify the details of these Policies. [updated
07-24-09]
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A bill (PL 612/2007) was introduced in the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies in March 2007. The bill promoted the replacement of conventional bags with biodegradable bags in retail outlets throughout Brazil. This bill was not passed. [added 12-01-09]
• In March 2008 an agreement was signed between the Government of the State of Sao Paulo and the São Paulo Association of Supermarkets (APAS), which provides for joint environmental awareness campaigns promoted by the Environment Ministry of St. Paul and retail entities. Also in March 2008 the Ministry of Environment launched the campaign "Conscious Consumption of packaging", with the exhibition "Best practices and innovations in packaging," organized as a starting point of educational work that will spread across Brazil. [added 12-01-09]
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Cuiabá, state of Mato Grosso |
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In May 2011, the mayor of the Brazilian city Cuiabá sanctioned a law that phases in a ban of plastic bags in favor of packaging using oxy- biodegradable materials. The ban has a phase in period of three years in order to allow businesses to switch to the alternative material bags or to offer customers reusable bags. Businesses that do not adhere to the law may lose their business license and be fined.
[added 03-07-12]
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Rio de Janeiro |
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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - On July 15, 2009, a law was passed to curtail the use of plastic bags by retail stores by requiring stores to stop using them or to buy them from their customers. The law applies to polyethylene, polypropylene and similar plastic bags. Stores that do not provide a substitute bag must accept any quantity of plastic bags, from any source, for recycling or proper disposal. Additionally, the stores that choose not to provide alternatives will required to compensate the public by either giving a discount to customers who decline to use a plastic bag or for every 50 bags brought to the store the customer is entitled to a kilogram of either rice, beans or (in the absence of rice or beans) some other staple food item. The law has a phased implementation over three years.
[added 09-03-10]
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Chile |
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• Senators in the Chilean government, in 2008, proposed a bill that prohibits the distribution of non-degradable plastic bags and a tax or fee on non-degradable bag producers that cannot be passed onto customers. |
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Uruguay |
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• In 2008, Uruguayan lawmakers proposed a tax on plastic bags and a transition from plastic bags to biodegradable bags in a 2 year period. The bill was passed by the House of Representatives on September 17, 2009 and was transferred to the Senate for review. In addition, on September 2, 2009 the Ministry of Housing and Environment launched a campaign called “Get Bags Out of the Environment” (“Sacá la Bolsa del Medio”). [updated 12-01-09]
• In 2007, Ordinance No. 260/2007 was adopted which required merchants to implement actions to minimize waste, generation of plastic bags, and to develop management plans for their rational use, reuse and recycling. [added 12-01-09] |
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Information about retail bag regulation activities is changing constantly. We welcome your input. If you have additional sources, or updates to
current information on this website, please email
Johanna.Poston@dep.state.fl.us. |
Highlights
