YEREVAN. – Waste processing is one of the main options to fight plastic pollution, secretary of Bright Armenia parliamentary group said.

The Armenian parliament debated on Wednesday the draft bill suggesting amendments to the law on trade and services.

Gevorg Gorgisyan, secretary of Bright Armenia faction, asked the environment minister whether they are doing anything to promote waste processing.

The MP noted that in Europe they sell bags so that people could be free from paying the garbage collection fee, as the purchase of such a bag is considered as payment for garbage collection.

“Are we going to introduce such a mechanism?” the lawmaker asked.

Minister of Nature Protection Erik Grigoryan said the garbage bags are made from recycled materials, and they will be sold. The minister underscored importance of waste sorting, and the ministry is working on this.

“Now when people stay at home, we have an opportunity to sort waste to a certain extent. Fees for waste collection are very high in Europe,” he said.

The minister added that waste management is a profitable business.

 The government offers to ban using plastic bags starting from January 1, 2022.