Biodegradable bags are more expensive to manufacture than plastic ones, and with stores across Moldova required to use the biodegradable type exclusively from 1 January 2019, prices are expected to rise, says Anatolie Stepa, an entrepreneur specializing in eco-friendly packaging.

However, Anatolie Stepa says the environmental benefits of the measure are certainly outweigh the costs.

“Orders for bio-bags have risen lately especially from pretzel and bagel vendors. Grocery stores are ordering them for breads and buns. Sure, eco-friendly bags are costlier, but from an environmental point of view, we will be better off having biodegradable bags. For our part, we will do everything to cut their production cost as low as possible”, Anatolie Stepa told IPN.

He suggested the manufacturing costs in Moldova will drop with experience and with higher demand. But now it’s cheaper for grocery stores and supermarkets to import biodegradable bags rather than order them locally.

Economist Viorel Chivriga of the think-tank IDIS Viitorul agrees that the environmental benefits will compensate for the higher costs in the long run. However:

“In the beginning, the burden falls entirely on the consumer, with some categories to be particularly affected. I don’t think the costs will be particularly high, but with every shopping instance costs will add fairly. There are buyers who can’t afford to spare even half a leu, not mentioning bigger amounts. Many elderly people will feel these costs”, said Viorel Chivriga.

Maxim Bruma, superior inspector at the State Environment Inspectorate, recalled that initially the biodegradable bag requirement was supposed to enter into effect straight away, but then companies were given until the end of 2018 to adapt. “This break was given for companies to sort out where to purchase bio-bags, what they would be made of, how recyclable and biodegradable they would be, and so on”, said Bruma.

Ecaterina Staci-Grigorean, spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, told IPN that the Code of Administrative Offenses would be amended to provide sanctions for failure to comply with the new requirement, with fines ranging from 100 to 200 conventional units.