Where did the fee for biodegradable shopping bags go?
The Ministry of Environment says €2.37 million was collected and mostly spent on bins and a public campaign, but it has not disclosed the campaign’s exact cost.
The state has collected nearly €2.4 million over four and a half years from the surcharge on biodegradable shopping bags, funds that the government says were channelled into new waste containers and a national awareness campaign.
The Ministry of Environment reported that, “from the introduction of the law under which a fee is charged for the use of plastic bags, up to 10 July” a total of €2.37 million had been collected. According to the ministry, those proceeds were used to buy bins and larger containers for separated waste and to finance a public information drive.
Detailed figures released by the ministry show the purchases included 30,018 bins of 120 litres at a unit price of 1,427 denars (without VAT) and 3,016 containers of 1,100 litres at a unit price of 12,027 denars. With VAT included, the ministry says the total spent on these blue and yellow receptacles exceeded €1.5 million.
The ministry added that the blue and yellow bins were distributed to all municipalities in 2023. The remaining balance of the collections was allocated to a nationwide public campaign titled "Positive Change", carried out during 2024 and 2025 to raise citizens’ awareness about waste separation and correct disposal.
However, the ministry did not provide a precise breakdown of how much the campaign cost or which agency won the tender to design and run it. At the same time, residents of Skopje continue to complain about unsatisfactory levels of public cleanliness.
The Tourism and Hospitality Chamber has warned that visible litter in the capital and in major tourist centres is already deterring foreign visitors and urged local authorities to fulfil their responsibilities. The law, which came into force on 1 December 2021, fully banned single-use plastic bags in markets and stores; the surcharge for biodegradable bags is 15 denars and must be separately recorded and paid into a special account at the Ministry of Environment.
Mirjana Joveska
Photo: press material from the event
