As soon as plastic bags are abolished and we move on to paper bags, the better it will be for the city's environment and everyone else, Sofia's mayor Boiko Borissov told a business media meeting on April 24.
Sofia city initiated a meeting between representatives of the biggest supermarket chains in Sofia, Borissov and Sofia's deputy mayor Maria Boyadjiiska, who is also in charge of the environment, to discuss a plan for cutting plastic bag usage and the amount of rubbish generated by supermarkets. “This meeting is part of the ‘Clean with me’,” campaign, Boyadjiiska said.
Representatives of Kaufland Bulgaria, Purshevitsa, Mall of Sofia, Metro Cash&Carry, Picadilly, Billa Bulgaria, Hit Hypermarkets, Danon Serdica and City Centre Sofia attended the meeting. Purshevitsa's chairperson said that the city initiative is a very good beginning but a group should also be formed containing representatives of the packaging waste recovery organisations. This was needed so as to enable the formation of a joint strategy for refuse management within the Ministry of Environment and Water Affairs (MOEW).
“We liaise exceptionally well with MOEW and I'm convinced that we will have their support, ”Borissov said. According to him, incentives and compensation for businesses were also necessary, because it was a complicated process requiring production readjustments. “We work in unison with the whole of Europe,” Borissov further noted.
He also cited a practice the mayor of Athens introduced whereby paper bags were sold in large supermarket chains at production prices.
Metro representatives said that a cut in household refuse tax was needed. This would be easy as it only needed a decision from Sofia municipal council. Borissov has always promised to expedite any steps that would benefit the city.
Kaufland representatives claimed that large supermarket chains are some of the most disciplined in collecting refuse. Borissov, however, said that a visit to one of the refuse separating installations would reveal the truth about their supposed efficiency.
Borissov says that if the city hall reached an agreement to work on a more reasonable refuse collection, it would also be easy to make smaller shops fulfill their duties. “It's more important for me to create a balance between the municipality and business,” he said.
Boyadjiiska said that the city's ambitious goal was to achieve 50 per cent refuse recycling. The city had invested more than 130 million euro, provided by the European Union, in installations to separate and treat waste, dumping only that part of the refuse unsuited to recycling. “The European Commission urged us to launch this wide-ranging discussion with business and society,” Borissov said.
Mall of Sofia general director Aaron Kedem said that the campaign should include not only plastic bags used in supermarkets, but also plastic bottles used in cafés, restaurants and other venues. “I think the main point is to spread awareness. We want to create a situation where everybody speaks about it,” Kedem said. He advised Borissov to start a promotional campaign on reasonable plastic packaging usage.
“Our building is a perfect place for such an initiative, as it generates about one million visitors every month,” Kedem also said. He told The Sofia Echo that Mall of Sofia is not yet working with any packaging waste recovery organisation because they have not been invited to do so. Kedem said that if any of those companies propose a reasonable project for placing separate refuse-collection waste bins inside the mall, they would consider it.
City Centre Sofia representative told The Sofia Echo that although their mall does not have special waste bins for separate refuse collection for clients, after the mall employees collect the usual waste bins, they separate everything inside and recycle certain suitable waste.
Sofia city initiated a meeting between representatives of the biggest supermarket chains in Sofia, Borissov and Sofia's deputy mayor Maria Boyadjiiska, who is also in charge of the environment, to discuss a plan for cutting plastic bag usage and the amount of rubbish generated by supermarkets. “This meeting is part of the ‘Clean with me’,” campaign, Boyadjiiska said.
Representatives of Kaufland Bulgaria, Purshevitsa, Mall of Sofia, Metro Cash&Carry, Picadilly, Billa Bulgaria, Hit Hypermarkets, Danon Serdica and City Centre Sofia attended the meeting. Purshevitsa's chairperson said that the city initiative is a very good beginning but a group should also be formed containing representatives of the packaging waste recovery organisations. This was needed so as to enable the formation of a joint strategy for refuse management within the Ministry of Environment and Water Affairs (MOEW).
“We liaise exceptionally well with MOEW and I'm convinced that we will have their support, ”Borissov said. According to him, incentives and compensation for businesses were also necessary, because it was a complicated process requiring production readjustments. “We work in unison with the whole of Europe,” Borissov further noted.
He also cited a practice the mayor of Athens introduced whereby paper bags were sold in large supermarket chains at production prices.
Metro representatives said that a cut in household refuse tax was needed. This would be easy as it only needed a decision from Sofia municipal council. Borissov has always promised to expedite any steps that would benefit the city.
Kaufland representatives claimed that large supermarket chains are some of the most disciplined in collecting refuse. Borissov, however, said that a visit to one of the refuse separating installations would reveal the truth about their supposed efficiency.
Borissov says that if the city hall reached an agreement to work on a more reasonable refuse collection, it would also be easy to make smaller shops fulfill their duties. “It's more important for me to create a balance between the municipality and business,” he said.
Boyadjiiska said that the city's ambitious goal was to achieve 50 per cent refuse recycling. The city had invested more than 130 million euro, provided by the European Union, in installations to separate and treat waste, dumping only that part of the refuse unsuited to recycling. “The European Commission urged us to launch this wide-ranging discussion with business and society,” Borissov said.
Mall of Sofia general director Aaron Kedem said that the campaign should include not only plastic bags used in supermarkets, but also plastic bottles used in cafés, restaurants and other venues. “I think the main point is to spread awareness. We want to create a situation where everybody speaks about it,” Kedem said. He advised Borissov to start a promotional campaign on reasonable plastic packaging usage.
“Our building is a perfect place for such an initiative, as it generates about one million visitors every month,” Kedem also said. He told The Sofia Echo that Mall of Sofia is not yet working with any packaging waste recovery organisation because they have not been invited to do so. Kedem said that if any of those companies propose a reasonable project for placing separate refuse-collection waste bins inside the mall, they would consider it.
City Centre Sofia representative told The Sofia Echo that although their mall does not have special waste bins for separate refuse collection for clients, after the mall employees collect the usual waste bins, they separate everything inside and recycle certain suitable waste.
