Plastic Bag Fee Saved TRY 3.8 Billion

Since the plastic bag fee scheme launched on 1 January 2019 by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, approximately TRY 3.8 billion in savings have been achieved to date. According to a statement from the Ministry, as plastic developed following its introduction to human life in the 1900s, plastic bags began to be distributed at retail outlets from 1977 onwards. These bags, with an average useful life of 15 minutes but taking a thousand years to decompose in nature, became readily available everywhere. These plastic bags distributed after shopping at every store are manufactured from petroleum-based polyethylene material. When polyethylene materials become waste, they turn into a harmful substance for living organisms in the ecosystem and for nature. Plastic, which entered human life in the early 20th century, had a global production value of around 1.5 million tonnes in the 1950s, which has now exceeded 335 million tonnes annually. Prior to 2019 in Turkey, plastic bag production was approximately 35 billion units annually, with an average person using around 440 plastic bags per year. With the fee scheme launched on 1 January 2019, plastic bag usage in Turkey has declined by approximately 65 per cent to date, and this has prevented the generation of 550,000 tonnes of plastic waste.  

Prevention of 22,746 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions

Additionally, this reduction has prevented the emission of approximately 22,746 tonnes of greenhouse gases. With the reduction in plastic bag usage, plastic raw material imports required for plastic bag production in Turkey have also fallen, resulting in savings of approximately TRY 3.8 billion. On the other hand, with increased public awareness of the issue, the use of reusable carrier bags such as cloth bags and mesh bags has also become more widespread.   Source