Plastic products disappear from stores: what Lithuanians will no longer do tomorrow Business

It will be sold out on July 3.

Darius Ryliškis, representative of Norfa 15 minutes such disposable plastic products are currently for sale.

“Of course, we do not place new orders. Banned plastic products will no longer be on the shelves as of the ban’s effective date. They will be replaced by analogues made from wood, paper, and sugar cane. Some of them they will be more expensive than plastic. The suppliers of many new products are clear, the search for others is still ongoing, “he said.

Ernesta Dapkienė, Director of the Department of Communication and Image of Maxima, 15 minutes He said the retail chain was preparing for the change in advance. Their offer was gradually reduced, that is, no new plastic products were ordered.

“According to the directive, according to the explanation of the Ministry of the Environment, we will be able to sell disposable plastic waste as of July 3. I would like to point out that the disposable plastic stock is very small, so we no longer have these products in some stores, ”he said.

According to E. Dapkienė, the retail chain has been offering all alternatives to disposable plastic products for some time. For example, disposable tableware, cutlery, straws, ear plugs, etc. Made with paper, wood, recyclable plastics and other ecological materials.

“We sell not only paper, but also reusable glass, bamboo, metal straws, and we also offer both paper and wood fiber, disposable plates made from wheat bran, which are not only sustainable, but also aesthetically appealing. We really notice that alternatives to disposable plastic are attracting buyers’ attention, ”he says.

According to Eurostat data, 332 disposable plastic bags are used per year in Lithuania.

Plastic rejected 2 years ago

It is true that there are those who did not wait until July 1, 2021. For example, Lidl claims that disposable plastic was withdrawn from the market in the summer of 2019.

“Also in the salads and mixes available in the range, we have already replaced the plastic forks with the wooden ones. Straws used for juice packaging are also being replaced by plastic ones by paper ones. ‘ 15 minutes Lina Skersytė, public relations representative for Lidl Lietuva, commented.

Vaida Budrienė, Iki Communication Director, 15 minutes He also said that the retail chain abandoned almost all the plastic products mentioned in the EU regulation almost two years ago.

“We haven’t sold plastic utensils, tools or straws in so long. We have replaced all of these products with products made from more sustainable materials. We also do not sell plastic earplugs. Maybe their balances are in stores, but we no longer ask suppliers, “he said.

According to V.Budrienė, the transition was very smooth and it was not noticed that our customers would complain about such changes.

“On the contrary, he was very willing to accept the changes. Sales remained similar. Clearly, the general trend is that more and more consumers are abandoning disposable packaging or these types of products in general. And they prefer to use reusable products ”, she is convinced.

The changes will also affect the bags

Guido Crawl, Co-Founder and CEO of Bagfactory, notes that bags made of clear plastic for aerobes will be banned from Saturday. He also notes that in Europe, countries are already taking steps to reduce the use of plastic bags.

“Germany and France, for example, do not have disposable plastic bags. And Denmark, with high taxes, has completely removed plastic bags from the market. This trend is likely to reach Lithuania as well,” he said.

The standard price of a reusable bag can be around 40-50 euro cents per unit.

According to Eurostat, Lithuania consumes 332 disposable plastic bags per capita per year, while Latvia has 327. These are the highest rates in the EU. By comparison, 100 disposable plastic bags are consumed per capita per year across the European Union, with the lowest use of disposable plastic bags in Germany (20 disposable plastic bags per year) and Belgium (28).

“These statistics show that companies in the Baltic region will be the most affected by the new EU directive. Western European countries have already started to fight against the use of plastics.” And Lithuanian companies using plastic bags will have to adapt to the new EU requirements in a short time ”, the interviewee is convinced.

So what change a disposable bag? According to Guido Crawley, there are several alternatives to this, such as choosing an eco-friendly reusable bag or paper.

“On the world and Lithuanian market you will find woven / non-woven bags with and without laminate and cotton bags. Currently there are no other alternatives.

We recommend choosing non-laminated reusable eco-friendly bags that can be recycled. Or homogeneous non-woven bags, because laminated bags are almost non-recyclable due to their multilayer and different materials, “he said.

The market price of a standard paper bag is currently estimated at 10 euro cents per unit. And the standard price of a reusable bag can be around 40-50 euro cents per unit.

What products will not be left?

According to Vilma Slavinskienė, head of the Waste Policy Group at the Ministry of the Environment, EU consumers will not experience a sudden change. According to her, the requirements do not apply at the time of distribution, but at the time of placing on the market of an EU Member State.

“This means that products marketed in the national market before July 2 can continue to be distributed / sold / filled / distributed. inclusive, that is, those bought, for example, in Lithuania ”, he explained.

According to V. Slavinskienė, in the long term, when all accumulated stocks are exhausted and distributed, consumers should no longer receive:

• aerobically clear plastic (containing additives for which the oxidizing plastic decomposes into microparticles or undergoes chemical decomposition);
• of these disposable products if they contain at least some plastic (including biodegradable and biodegradable plastics):
  • dishes,
  • cutlery (forks, knives, spoons, sticks),
  • Straw,
  • drink mixers,
  • balloon sticks,
  • cosmetic toothpicks;
• from expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) manufactured disposable:
  • beverage containers, including their stoppers and lids,
  • beverage containers, including their stoppers and lids,
  • containers for food products without additional preparation (boxes with or without lids).

In the long term, when all the accumulated stocks in Lithuania are depleted / distributed, consumers will see the following uniform labeling throughout the EU on the following disposable products containing plastic placed on the Lithuanian market between 2021 and 2007:

• sanitary pads (pads) (except those used exclusively for medical purposes, such as urinary incontinence) packaging (not less than 10 cm2);
• swab and applicator packs (not less than 10 cm2);
• wet wipes (except those used exclusively for medical or industrial purposes) packaging (not less than 10 cm2);
• unit packages and outer packages of tobacco products with filters (not less than 10 cm2) and filter packages sold separately (not less than 10 cm2);
• drink containers made partially of plastic (for example, a cardboard container lined with a plastic layer on the inside);
• Beverage containers made entirely of plastic (including biodegradable and biodegradable plastics).