Filenews 24 July 2024
Decisions were taken by the Council of Ministers on plastic waste management in agriculture. In particular, they will require producers and importers who place agricultural plastic products on the market to set up collective waste management systems.
Following a proposal by the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Maria Panayiotou, the "Waste Management of Plastic Products for Agricultural Use" Regulations of 2024 were approved.
The object of the proposed Regulations is the rational management of waste plastic products for agricultural use.
The Regulations introduce obligations based on the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility and require producers and importers who place agricultural plastic products on the market to set up collective waste management systems. These collective systems will enable farmers/farmers and other users to deliver waste to appropriate collection points to be created, from which waste will be collected and transported to licensed facilities for its rational management.
The Regulations apply to waste of all types of plastic agricultural products (e.g. greenhouse covering plastics, tires, nets), as well as to similar types of products used for other purposes (e.g. other plastics used in anti-hail infrastructure).
They also include provisions in relation to the obligations of producers/distributors of plastic agricultural products and holders of such waste and the licensing procedures of collective schemes. Furthermore, through the permission of the collective system, the recycling targets that the System should achieve are determined, which may amount to up to 50% of the total quantity of plastic products for agricultural use placed on the market.
The implementation of the proposed Regulations is expected to bring significant environmental benefits through the rational management of waste plastic agricultural products to the environment, improving the quality of life, while it is expected to create new green jobs and the possibility for the production of new innovative products.
In Cyprus, the extensive use of plastics in agriculture produces significant amounts of waste annually. Their usual management practices include uncontrolled disposal and burning, while only a very small percentage is properly managed.
