Consumers must pay $20 by use of each plastic bag. This tax requires large stores to design campaigns for the rational use of plastic.

In the world more than a zillion plastic bags are used each year, spending about 100 million barrels of oil for production and close 10 % This material ends up in the oceans, ending the lives of more than 100 thousand marine animals.

These alarming for life on the planet figures have prompted the WWF and the Ministry of Environment, Housing and Territorial Development (MADS) to regulate the use of plastic bags; July 1 came into force the national consumption tax bag, which it is stipulated in the article 512-15 New tax reform approved by Congress last 29 from December.

Corpoguajira, verified the application of the rule in the three chain stores that exist in the Department. Since this year the consumer must start paying $20 per bag use. This value will increase annually according to the variation equivalent to consumer price index certified by the Dane.

It should be noted that thanks to the regulation of rational use of plastic bags, embodied in Resolution 668 of 2016, contamination by this material has been reduced 27%. The same resolution prohibits the marketing of plastic bags under 30 x 30 cm.

The value of the tax paid by the consumer must be used by companies, big surfaces, shops and markets, in implementing education campaigns which will promote alternative means of packaging, reduce, reuse and create programs that consumption of plastic is rational.