A sub-decree aimed at regulating single-use plastics and foam containers is currently in the works, the Ministry of Environment said on Sunday.
Neth Pheaktra, the ministry’s spokesperson, said he could not provide further details as yet while the regulation is being formulated.
However, he confirmed that the sub-decree would be enacted to reduce the usage of plastic bags, straws and Styrofoam containers, among others.
The announcement was made after the ministry on Thursday held a meeting with representatives from UN Development Programme (UNDP) Cambodia, the World Bank, and the National Waste Management taskforce, to discuss policy development opportunities and areas of research on plastic waste management.
Environment Ministry secretary of state Eang Sophalet, who led Thursday’s meeting, said on Sunday that the usage of supermarket plastic bags has dropped by “some 30 per cent” as more Cambodians have become aware of the “ill effects” of plastic bags.
“Some shops have stopped distributing plastic bags and more members of the public have refrained from asking for a new one and instead turned to the alternatives or reused the ones they previously used to carry their groceries,” he said.