Olga Sazonova, Head of the Waste Management Regulation Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, told the press conference “Environmental Safety: New Solutions to Combat Plastic Pollution”, BelTA correspondent reports.

　　Olga Sazonova called technical regulation of waste management one of the important areas of work. More than 40 state standards have been developed to establish requirements for environmentally safe, including biodegradable, packaging and methods of its testing.

　　Adjustments to the Customs Union technical regulations “On the Safety of Packaging” have been envisaged. At the initiative of Belarus, the draft amendments include a ban on the use of labels made of polyvinyl chloride on packaging made of polyethylene terephthalate. “The ban is initiated due to the fact that the application of such a label does not allow further recycling of PET bottles,” added the specialist.

　　The draft amendments to the technical regulations are undergoing the procedure of domestic harmonization. Work is also underway (under the auspices of UNEP) to prepare a legally binding draft international treaty on combating environmental pollution, including marine pollution, by plastic waste. In addition, the Republic of Belarus, being a party to the Basel Convention, is promoting on the platform of the EEC an initiative to introduce a single measure of non-tariff regulation in respect of waste plastics imported into the customs territory of the EAEU.

　　“It is planned to introduce a permissive procedure for importing such waste,” said Olga Sazonova.