Santiago, Aug. 3 (xinhua) -- Chile has officially banned all supermarkets and shops from providing plastic bags to customers. Chile will become the first country in Latin America to ban plastic bags altogether.

Under the ban, supermarkets, shopping centres and department stores across the country will have a six-month buffer period from March 3, during which up to two plastic bags will be available to each shopper. From February 3, 2019, all major supermarkets and shopping malls will no longer be allowed to provide free or charged plastic bags to shoppers, who will be fined.

Fines can run as high as $370 per bag illegally supplied. Under the "plastic prohibition law", small and micro businesses enjoy a two-year buffer period during which two plastic bags can be provided to each shopper. From August 3, 2020, Chile will ban plastic altogether.

On August 3, Chilean President Sebastian pinera handed out reusable cloth bags to passers-by in downtown San Diego, capital of Chile, to celebrate the official promulgation of the "plastic ban law". On May 30 this year, Chile's congress passed a "plastic ban law" submitted for consideration by the environment ministry.

On June 25th Chile's plastics industry association filed a complaint with the country's constitutional court that the law was unconstitutional. In April 2014, the Chilean congress passed a bill to ban plastic bags in the Patagonia region of southern Chile.

In October 2017, then-president bachelet signed legislation requiring businesses in 102 coastal towns in Chile to ban plastic bags for customers.

Article source: thepaper.cn