Rio to reduce use of plastic bags

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - The state government has passed a law forcing medium- and large-sized supermarkets and stores to offer at least one of three options to dissuade customers from placing their purchases in plastic bags.

The first is offering a R$0.03 discount for each group of five items bought by consumers who bring their own shopping bags, with the value of the discount being adjusted annually based on inflation. The second is to give consumers a kilogram of rice or beans for returning 50 plastic bags. Lastly, stores can replace plastic bags with sacks made from reusable, more resistant material.

Law 5.502/09, which went into effect on July 16, doesn't ban plastic bags or make them illegal, but it's aimed at getting stores and customers to decrease their use.

Micro-enterprise and small companies have two to three years to adjust to the law.

But all stores must place a poster with this message visible: "Conventional plastic bags take more than 100 years to decompose. Please dispose of plastic bags in the appropriately marked waste collection recycling bins, or bring your own reusable shopping bag from home."

"Rio de Janeiro is pioneering in Brazil, but we know that many countries worldwide no longer use plastic bags for carrying purchases," says Marilene Ramos, the state's secretary of the environment. "They use paper bags, which have a much higher rate of degradation and a much smaller impact on the environment."

About 200 million plastic bags are distributed monthly by stores in the state of Rio alone, a total of 2.4 billion a year, Ramos said. But many of them end up in garbage dumps and rivers, where they cause damage to the environment. The bags can obstruct the pluvial water-draining network and sewers, pollute rivers, lagoons, seas and beaches, and kill animals, who can get caught in the bags and suffocate.

It's not illegal for customers to use plastic bags to carry their groceries, but those who do are not eligible for discounts. (Luiza Reis for Infosurhoy.com)

"If people could see just how the inappropriate disposal of plastic bags harms the environment, they would simply stop using them," says Ana Grace, who is involved in projects to improve the environment. "Some time ago, I took part in a beach-cleaning event, and the amount of garbage and plastic bags collected was huge. The work to collect plastic bags that end up in the sea, rivers, and lagoons is very difficult."

Consumers divided on the law

"I am already taking my cloth bag to the supermarket," said Gracie Croce. "I was already against that waste, and when I read a story about turtles that die from eating [plastic bags], thinking they are algae, I realized it's time for society to take a stand against [the use of plastic bags]."

The State Environment Secretariat is fining stores between R$200 (US$114) and R$2,000 (US$1,114) that don't pass inspection.

The Carrefour supermarket chain was notified by the secretariat on Aug. 6 it had seven days to adhere to the law before being subjected to a fine.

The company is offering the R$0.03 discount, Carrefour officials said in a statement.

Paulo Pianez, the company's director of sustainability, said the chain is in the process of trying to ban plastic bags in its store in Piracicaba, a city in the state of São Paulo.

"Consumers' acceptance has exceeded the company's expectations, and over five months' time, the use of reusable and 100% biodegradable bags and cardboard boxes have become the norm for the store," he says, adding Carrefour's goal is to eliminate the use of plastic bags by 2014.

Ramos said most supermarkets are choosing to offer the R$0.03 discount since it's about what they pay per plastic bag.

But not everyone supports the law. Its detractors don't like the legislation because they use the plastic bags as trash bags at home.

"Without plastic bags, where do I put garbage? Will I have to buy plastic bags for garbage?" asks manager Helena Derraik.

"I'm going to the supermarket without planning. and I don't take my own shopping bag," said shopper Carla Paladino. "If the supermarket option is not giving reusable bags, I'll have to buy a shopping bag. The obligation of paying the cost of other bags should be [the supermarkets']."

Her brother, Carlos Paladino, disagrees.

"I'm in favor of the law because in Brazil there is no recycling habit," he said. "We're very ignorant about the matter. [To obey the law], [we should take] a bag or cart to go shopping."

Consumers slow to make change

Supermarket officials said consumers are not switching from plastic bags as fast as envisioned.

"The discount is [catching on], but not to the degree expected," says Kátia Silveira of Prezunic supermarket chain's marketing department.

José Maurício Padrone, chief of the Integrated Coordination to Fight Environmental Crimes (CICCA) of the State Environment Secretariat, says all inspections are for the benefit of the environment.

The first goal: a 30% annual reduction in the number of plastic bags used.

"It means 700 million fewer plastic bags in Rio's environment," Padrone says.

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