Legal changes entered into force on June 1, 2022, BIRN: The battle with plastic remains in place

On June 1, 2022, legal changes came into force that banned the use of a category of non-recyclable plastic bags, but ten months later, it seems that everything is back to normal.

An observation by this reporter in several markets in Tirana found that in most of them, disposable plastic bags are seen hanging, which are forbidden to circulate in the market. Likewise, a survey by the organization "Civic Attitude" with 300 respondents in October 2022, found that 70 percent of them continued to use plastic bags, even though the cost of purchasing them had increased.

The legal changes on plastic bags were welcomed by environmentalists, who are calling for their implementation.

"The negligence of the authorities in the implementation of the law has caused traders to put them back into circulation," environmentalist Lavdosh Ferruni told BIRN.

The data provided by BIRN through right to information requests show that the legal changes have not been accompanied by concrete measures and the punishments have been minimal.

Asked by BIRN about the implementation of the legal changes, the Ministry of Tourism and Environment said it was awaiting the results of an on-site inspection.

"Currently, the inspection by the Task Force is continuing in the entire territory of the Republic of Albania by the institutions defined in the Order, until October 1, 2023, in which the report on the problems and progress of the implementation of the legislation in force will be drawn up," t ha Ministry in a written response.

While the State Inspectorate of Market Supervision, an institution tasked by law with the implementation of legal changes, announced that it had carried out 2584 on-site verifications and found only 4 violations.

According to the Inspectorate, four businesses have been fined, while around 170 kilograms of plastic bags have been seized since the law came into force.

Ndotja e shkaktuar nga plastika është një ndër problemet kryesore mjedisore në Shqipëri, ku sipas Planit Kombëtar për Menaxhimin e Mbetjeve, prodhohen 198 ton mbetje plastike në ditë me densitet të ulët dhe 111 ton mbetje plastike në ditë me densitet të lartë.

Megjithatë, tregtarë të ndryshëm i thanë BIRN se situata nuk kishte ndryshuar për shkak të mungesës së penaliteteve.

“Zbatimi i ligjit u bë vetëm në muajt e parë, pasi pati dhe kontrolle. Por kur kuptuam se gjoba nuk po vendoseshin dhe kontrolle nuk kishte më, qeset plastike u rihodhën sërish në treg,” tha një tregtar fruta-perimesh.

Ai shtoi se qeset njëpërdorimshme ishin të lira dhe mund të jepeshin falas dhe se qytetarët nuk preferonin t’i blinin qeset. Sipas tij, kudo mund të blesh qese, që sipas ligjit janë të ndaluara.

Edhe qytetarët tregojnë se qese mund të gjesh kudo. “Në çdo dyqan të vogël gjen qese, vetëm te marketet e mëdha nuk i japin pa lekë,” tha një pensioniste. Ajo tregoi se blerjen e frutave dhe perimeve e bën në ato dyqane ku ka qese falas.

Qeset plastike janë vetëm një ndër zërat e shumtë të plastikës që kontribuojnë në ndotjen e vendit, por Ministria e Turizmit dhe Mjedisit i tha BIRN se deri tani nuk ka asnjë nismë për të vendosur ndalimin e plastikave të tjera.

“Për produktet si shishet e ujit, qumështit etj. apo edhe ambalazhimin e produkteve ushqimore, nuk ka nismë për ndalimin e tyre në vendin tonë,” u përgjigj ministria.

Unlike the Ministry, the environmentalist Lavdosh Ferruni says that the government should advance with the ban of other plastic products as a long-term vision for the development of tourism in Albania.

"Now we would have to ban single-use plastics, such as plates, forks, spoons, etc. The fact is that we have currently reached ground zero in the battle with plastics," he concluded/Reporter.al