The Eco Fund earned 301.279 euros from November to March from the fee paid by sellers for plastic bags thicker than 50 microns. Sales of plastic bags have decreased by 50 percent compared to the same period last year, while an analysis of the Podgorica landfill showed that there are now 70 percent fewer bags.
This was officially stated to "Vijesti" by the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Development.
The sale of plastic bags was partially banned at the end of October, through the Waste Management Law, since when citizens can no longer buy lightweight bags with wall thicknesses of 15 to 50 microns in supermarkets and other retail outlets. Since then, the sale of single-use plastics has also been banned, including cotton buds, cutlery, plates, straws, expanded polystyrene food containers...
At that time, a government decree was passed, which introduced a three-cent fee that sellers pay to the state for each bag thicker than 50 microns. This fee is calculated based on a monthly report on the quantity of bags that the seller has put into circulation.
"Regarding the financial aspect, from the beginning of the application of the regulation (November 1, 2025) on the compensation paid by the seller of lightweight plastic bags with a wall thickness of over 50 microns, until February 27, 2025, the amount redirected to the Eco Fund account amounted to 301.279 euros. There are three more types of compensation, but their implementation has not yet begun. The drafting of by-laws that will regulate the amount of these compensations is currently underway," the ministries said.
When asked about the control of retail outlets and the bags they use, they pointed out that this is handled by the Market Inspection, which has so far conducted 834 inspections and identified 23 irregularities. They emphasized that eight misdemeanor orders worth a total of 8.000 euros have been issued, while eight decisions on traffic bans have also been issued.
They also claim that the greatest benefit of these measures is environmental, that the ban has led to a significant reduction in the use of plastic bags, that awareness of the harmfulness of plastic products to the environment has increased, and that citizens are increasingly using cloth bags, paper bags and other environmentally friendly alternatives...
"According to the morphological analysis conducted at the landfill in Podgorica, the quantity of plastic bags has decreased by about 70 percent compared to the previous period. Information received from large retail chains shows that the sale of plastic bags has decreased by 50 percent compared to the same period last year. The seller of lightweight plastic bags submits a report to the Environmental Protection Agency on the number of bags sold for the previous month, no later than the 15th of the month. Based on that report, the Agency issues a decision on the amount of compensation. According to the Agency, 10.042.643 bags have been sold since the beginning of the application of the provision until the end of February," the Ministry emphasized.
Fines for non-compliance with the rules regarding the thickness of plastic bags range from 20.000 to 1.000 euros for companies, while firms that fail to comply with the measures for single-use plastics can be fined from 40.000 to 500 euros. Fines for citizens are identical in both cases, namely from 2.000 to 6.000 euros, while entrepreneurs will have to pay from XNUMX to XNUMX euros for the same violation.
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