Starting from September 2025, plastic bags in Puerto Madryn, Chubut will bid farewell. The city will ban the use of these products in all its businesses.
The measure, arising from Ordinance No. 13,890, aims to reduce environmental impact and protect local wildlife. Businesses have until October 2nd to deplete their remaining stock of “t-shirt” type bags.
This is a regulation already adopted by multiple localities in the country, focusing on sustainability and the reduction of plastic use, the most polluting material in the current ocean.
A sustainable alternative for a cleaner future
Instead of traditional bags, merchants must offer ecological and reusable alternatives, such as paper bags, fabric bags, or biodegradable and compostable materials.
The Secretariat of Ecology and Environmental Protection will oversee this transition, ensuring that the new alternatives meet sustainability standards.
The ban is based on the serious damage caused by plastic bags to the environment. These products take centuries to degrade, pollute oceans and soils, and pose a deadly threat to animals that ingest them.
Furthermore, their production and disposal contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases and microplastics, also affecting human health.
With this decision, Puerto Madryn reaffirms its commitment to sustainability and the protection of its ecosystems. The measure is an important step towards a cleaner and greener future for the entire community.
Five alternatives to replace traditional plastic bags
1. Fabric bags
A good habit is to carry a fabric bag in your purse, backpack, or even in the car to use for quick daily shopping. Its use can be extended for about eight years.
2. Shopping carts
Using the old and classic shopping cart that previous generations used. It allows for a weekly shopping load and easy transport. And a single shopping cart can last up to 15 years.
3. Paper bags
Paper bags are 100% biodegradable, recyclable, and reusable. Additionally, they are structurally designed to withstand the same weight and pressure as a plastic bag.
4. Compostable bags
They are the least harmful alternative for the environment if we do not consider what their massive use would entail. They are almost entirely made of biodegradable materials that, moreover, degrade at a faster rate in a composting plant, turning completely into compost.
5. Cardboard boxes
Cardboard boxes are made from cellulose, just like paper bags. Therefore, they have similar decomposition characteristics.
One of the advantages of cardboard boxes is that they can be reused, come in all shapes and sizes, and, besides being resistant and durable, they are also recyclable.
