Overview

On June 1st, 2022, the Senate Plenary unanimously approved a law prohibiting single-use plastics in Colombia.

The initiative prevents the use of 14 forms of plastic items in their importation, marketing, and distribution. Companies that fail to comply may face serious legal consequences. Here are the plastic items banned in the country:

• Point of Sales bags used to pack, load, or transport merchandise, except those that are fully reusable or for industrial use.
• Bags used to pack newspapers, magazines, advertising, and invoices, as well as those used in laundromats to package washed clothes.
• Rolls of empty bags in commercial applications to pack, load, or transport merchandise or carry food in bulk, except for raw animal products.
• Containers, packages, or bags for the purpose of storing non-prepackaged liquids, for immediate consumption, for takeout, or for home delivery.
• Plates, trays, knives, forks, spoons, glasses, and gloves for eating purposes.
• Mixers and straws for drinks.
• Plastic supports for inflator pumps.
• Confetti, tablecloths, and serpentine.
• Containers or packaging to contain or carry meals or food not prepackaged in accordance with current regulations, for immediate consumption, used for takeout or for home delivery.
• Sheets to serve, pack, wrap, or separate food for immediate consumption, used for takeout or for home delivery.
• Plastic cotton swab holders or flexible cotton-tipped swabs.
• Single-use floss handles or floss holders.
• Packaging or any container used for the commercialization, to the final consumer, of fresh fruits, vegetables, and tubers that in their natural state have skin or rinds; fresh aromatic herbs, fresh vegetables, and fresh mushrooms. Such packages or containers may be used to guarantee food safety, prevent loss or waste of food, and/or protect their integrity against damage, as long as the materials used are fully recyclable and/or recycled, as permitted by health regulations, and have reincorporation goals in a circular economy model.
• Adhesives, labels, or any identification that is fixed to vegetables.

According to the District Secretary of the Environment, companies that fail to comply with the law will be subject to sanctions such as fines, confiscation, and temporary or permanent closures. Additionally, the money collected as a result of any sanctions will be used for cleanup programs in ecosystems with water resources and the restoration of fauna and flora.

The key date for the disappearance of single-use plastics in Colombia will be 2025, when the adaptation process provided by the law will start, during which single-use plastics must gradually be replaced.