Government Sets Plastic Bag Fee at Shopping Centers

Phnom Penh- The Royal Government of Cambodia has decided that plastic bags shall be charged in shopping malls from April 10th with a price of 400 riels each.

“The goal is to reduce wasteful use of plastic bags”, according to Heng Nareth, the Director of Environment Protection of Ministry of Environment.

As seen in recent years, Cambodians use vast amounts of plastic bags even for small holdable objects. In Phnom Penh, each person consumes around 2,000 plastic bags annually, according to data released by Fondazione ACRA while the corresponding figure for the EU stands at around 200.

After each festival, very large amounts of plastic bags can be seen on the ground after consumption with no regards to the environment as a majority of Cambodians consider the use of plastic bags as normal without the understanding of the side effects it brings.

Soueng Saran, Executive Director of the urban issues NGO Teang Tnaut community said, “Plastic bags are one of the major issues as everyone throws them onto the street and waste management is still poor.”

Chea Sopheak, the General Manager of Sorya Mall, said, “We are doing it for the sake of our environment. It’s a starting point to educate people and get customers to take part in this effort to reduce plastic.”

Government sets plastic bag fee at shopping centers from this month