Bags

Greek plastic bag industries are reporting an annual decline in output by 80 percent in the first quarter of the year as a result of the imposition of an environmental tax on the commodity from January 1, 2018.

This dramatic shrinking in production is about to lead to the shutdown of at least three small companies in the sector, according to informed sources.

Nearly 400 kg of cocaine have been found in the Russian embassy in Argentina. The signal was submitted personally by the ambassador. He told the police that an employee had suspiciously a lot of diplomatic baggage he kept in the school for the diplomatic mission, Nova TV reported.

Just a month in, an initiative aimed at reducing consumers' dependence on plastic carrier bags by charging for them appears to be bearing fruit, as some supermarkets have recorded a drop of as much as 50 percent.

Plastic bags are a symbol of our time: they are everywhere, making it easy to package, transport, contain and dispose of any kind of product. They also threaten our planet, polluting sky, land and sea, and all living organisms. And wherever there is waste and pollution, we Greeks are among the champions.

A shopper takes a break on a street in the central city of Trikala on Wednesday as Greece joined other European Union countries in charging consumers for the use of plastic bags. The initiative is aimed at reducing the proliferation of plastic bags and their adverse impact on the environment by convincing consumers to use durable bags when shopping.

Take a look under under the kitchen sink in a typical Greek home. In all likelihood you will find a pile of plastic bags, collected from each visit to the supermarket or local kiosk. Unfortunately, these bags more often than not end up being used to collect trash, and are rarely used to carry groceries again.

Supermarkets and retail stores will stop giving out free plastic bags in the new year as part of efforts to curb environmental pollution caused by the extensive use by of non-biodegradable carrier bags.

Shocking photos of the Caribbean Sea littered with rubbish and debris have gone viral on social media.

The photos were taken off the coast of the island Roatan in Honduras, and show a landscape of floating trash where there should be blue seas.

"No more plastic bags," newspaper titles touted on August 10, after the publication of a joint ministerial decree announcing that consumers would have to pay 3 cents for each plastic shopping bag used as of January 1, 2018, and 7 cents as of January 1, 2019.

General Motors will recall more than 2.5 million vehicles in China over concerns about airbags made by troubled Japanese giant Takata, Chinese authorities have said, dealing a blow to the U.S. automaker in the world's largest car market.