Azerbaijan to widen restrictions on single-use plastic food packaging

Azerbaijan is planning to expand its ban on the use and sale of single-use plastic food packaging, primarily targeting plastic water bottles, Faig Mutallimov, head of the Environmental Policy Department at the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, said.

According to Report, during the presentation of the "Environmental Performance Review" report prepared by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, Mutallimov reminded that in 2021, amendments to the law "On Environmental Protection" came into force in Azerbaijan, restricting the use of plastic bags and certain types of plastic products. He stated that work is underway on further amendments to the law, which will expand the list of restrictions.

"In the next stage, we plan to introduce restrictions on plastic water bottles. Surveys show that after the introduction of restrictions on plastic bags, their use has decreased by up to 70%. We intend to further expand waste management measures," he said.