Rio de Janeiro supermarkets have removed 4.3 billion plastic bags from circulation

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Two years after Law 8.473 came into force in June 2019, better known as the Plastic Bag Law, the Rio de Janeiro State Supermarket Association (ASSERJ) has reported the removal of 4.3 billion plastic bags from the sector’s stores. The law will complete two years on Saturday, June 26.

Today, June 25, ASSERJ’s superintendent Keila Prates recalled that Rio de Janeiro was a pioneer in Brazil in passing this type of law at the state level.

São Paulo and Espírito Santo had similar laws, but only in the state capitals. ASSERJ assisted the bill’s rapporteur, deputy Carlos Minc, in implementing the law, “helping the rapporteur in terms of how to comply with (the law) and prepare stores to serve customers in this change of major impact to society,” Keila said.

From the moment the law permitted charging for bags, supermarkets were required to offer customers the option to buy raffia bags, the so-called returnable bags. The entity has also invested in awareness, showing consumers the impact plastic bags have on the environment.

As a result, 4.3 billion plastic bags were removed from circulation and from disposal in the environment, in landfills and rivers and their tributaries, said the superintendent. In the law’s first year, 2 billion fewer plastic bags were distributed by the associated chains. In the second year, another 2.3 billion were removed from circulation.

“In the first year of the law, we were required to reduce the distribution to consumers by 40%, and we reached 50%. In the second year, we reached 58% fewer plastic bags in the environment,” said ASSERJ’s president Fábio Queiróz.

The law determines that within four years there will be a 70% reduction in the consumption of plastic bags. The superintendent believes that this goal can be anticipated, based on a survey conducted by ASSERJ between June 18 and 21, with 510 consumers, which showed that 70% no longer use plastic bags for shopping.

That is, 7 out of 10 consumers are using returnable bags or cardboard boxes to take the products home. Also according to the survey, almost 90% of respondents said they are aware of plastic bags’ impacts on the environment. “We expect to meet this target before the deadline,” observed Keila.

Campaign

Keila Prates pointed out that all ASSERJ members are engaged in a campaign to begin next Monday, June 28, with the goal of restoring this information to customers. The Week to Encourage the Reduction of Plastic Bag Use will run until July 1st.

Stores will work with posters and audio messages to consumers encouraging them to carry their own bags to reduce the use of plastic bags. The campaign will also be run on all supermarkets’ social networks. “The campaign is for consumers to stop using plastic bags and take their own bags from home.”

The ultimate goal is to exclude plastic bags from the environment in the medium and long term. Supermarkets play an important role in this, in the awareness of their customers.

On the other hand, Keila pointed out that this also depends on a new law, which falls under the competence of legislators and the government. “Supermarkets are open and willing to embrace a stricter law regarding bags, also aiming at their total extinction,” she assured.

Since June 26, 2019, large supermarkets offer only the new bags, produced with over 51% renewable sources, at cost price, with no profit for store owners.

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