KYIV, Nov 13 – Ukraine's parliament on November 12 backed at first reading bill No. 2051-1 submitted by nine lawmakers from the Servant of the People parliamentary faction on ban of selling plastic bags of up to 50 mm think and oxo-biodegradable plastic bags in Ukraine from January 1, 2022.

Some 365 MPs backed the document with at least 226 votes required.

"Biodegradable bags are the main alternative to plastic bags in the world. However, insufficient legislative regulation in Ukraine has led to a conflict when consumers are confused, believing that the bag they buy does not harm the environment," the authors of the bill said in an explanatory note to the document.