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People's Party CDS-PP

Parliamentary Group

Draft Resolution No. 235 /X

For the promotion of the reduction and reuse of bags of

shopping

In Portugal, approximately 2 thousand tonnes of bags are used annually.

disposable plastics. A value that, all over the world, represents approximately

500 bilions of units.

It is customary to see in the supermarkets and on the large surfaces thousands of bags of

plastic, which are distributed free of charge and that after serving to transport the

shopping ends up in the garbage, without any worry of recycling, merely

deposited in landfill.

Incidentally, according to a recently conducted study for the Green Point Society, only

45% of the Portuguese who habitually recycle their household waste, the

make in concrete with the plastic bags.

In this way, it is thousands of the plastic bags that end up abandoned on the ground,

forgotten by citizens or taken away by the wind. It is numerous the dangers that

represent for the environment, with each plastic bag being able to

500 years to decompose in nature.

Much of the degradation of disposable plastic bags occurs by action of the light,

photodegrading into small pieces, which end up contaminating the soils,

causing equally diverse damage to the animals that ingest them.

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Plastic bags are even considered, as one of the biggest threats to life

navy and the quality of our beaches, by being among the twelve main waste

abandoned in the coastal areas.

Another factor to be taken into account, at a time when it is crucial to find alternatives to

an economy based on fossil resources, is the fact that both in its confection,

transport and final destination, these bags consume non-renewable resources, as is the

oil.

The waste policy should be based on reduction, reuse and recycling, the 3 R's.

This being the case, the CDS/PP understands that it should be given, in relation to this residue, a

special focus on the first two R's: it is possible to reduce the number of bags of

plastic used and should be promoted to their reuse.

Having these environmental concerns, the CDS/PP considers that the same should be

pursued by paying attention to the rights of consumers and with their collaboration,

as a way to achieve a significant and sustainable reduction in the number of bags

used.

The management of waste plastic bags is ensured by the operation of the SIGRE

-Waste Management System of Packaging, managed by the Green Point Society, the

which is already funded by eco values (Green Point values), paid by the

producers / packers and indirectly by consumers to the Green Point Society.

Considers the CDS/PP that it is not through the precipitous way the Government has proposed to

abusive taxation of the use of these bags, which may incidentally disrupt the current system of

management of Waste Packaging, based on the integrated system managed by the

Green Point Society, which is able to alleviate this problem. Since soon, because the

measure was not understood by the consumer, it was not justified in relation to the

business establishments and should never be considered a mere form of

funding from the Central Administration.

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One should also avoid the error of, by adopting other measures for the solution of this

problem, lead to the fact that the plastic bags stop being faced as packaging:

they should continue to be treated by their waste management system and pay the

respective eco value.

The CDS-PP understands that only with the commitment of all, will it be possible to obtain a solution

sustainable for this environmental problem.

The CDS/PP Parliamentary Group, under the constitutional provisions, and

applicable regimental recommends to the Government:

1-Promoting, through environmental awareness campaigns the best practices

in this field addressed to consumers, commercial establishments,

large surfaces and supermarkets, for effective reduction and reuse

rational of bags.

2-A creation of an incentive plan designed to support the initiatives that target

the placement in the commercial establishments of reusable bags at disposal

of consumers, produced with recyclable materials.

3-Ensure the specific monitoring of the production circuit, collection, resumes and

recycling of this genus of waste.

4-A organisation, management and monitoring of the waste management system of

packaging shall continue to be carried out by the Society Green Point, which,

since 1996, has the mission of promoting selective collection, resumption and

recycling of packaging waste at the national level.

Palace of Saint Benedict, December 5, 2007

The Deputies of the CDS