The Armenian government on Thursday, January 23 approved a draft law banning the use of single-use plastics nationwide from January 1, 2022.

The measure would prohibit the sale and provision of plastic bags of up to 50 microns in thickness by retailers (with the exception of bags made from secondary raw materials and those used for wrapping).

The bill was introduced by the Ministry of Environment. Its adoption is expected to result in the surge of use of multiple-use bags.

With a number of countries having already eliminated the use of disposable plastic, China was the latest nation to announce plans on rolling out a nation-wide ban on single-use plastics.