From January 1, 2027, in retail facilities, public catering establishments, marketplaces, mobile trade points, fairs (vernissages), exhibition-sales, mobile trade, door-to-door trade, as well as in open-air retail, when carrying out retail trade, the presence or sale of polyethylene bags and packaging, and single-use plastic (including foam plastic) products such as containers, plates, cups, cup lids, spoons, forks, knives, and sticks intended for drinking or stirring is prohibited.
On March 25, 2026, the National Assembly adopted the package of draft laws on amendments and supplements to the Law “On Trade and Services” and related laws, prohibiting the presence or sale of these products.
67 MPs voted in favor, 0 against, and 30 abstained.
RA Minister of Environment Hambardzum Matevosyan, commenting on the adoption of the legislative package on his Facebook page, posted:
“Limiting the consumption of single-use plastics has not only environmental, but also political and economic significance for Armenia. On the eve of COP17, this initiative will allow our country to present itself as a responsible state committed to the principles of sustainable development.”
Speaking to Ecolur, Lusine Avetisyan, Head of Strategic Policy Department of RA Ministry of Environment, said: “Plastic not only pollutes the environment, but also enters the human body through the food chain. That is why this policy is being implemented. People have the impression that we simply want to ban something, but no, the ban is not an end in itself. It is done for environmental protection and human health.”
Reminder: from January 1, 2022, the use of polyethylene bags with a thickness of up to 50 microns was banned in retail outlets.
“The threshold of up to 50 microns was proposed as an interim solution so that manufacturers could also adapt. It had been communicated that the next stage should be a full ban,” Lusine Avetisyan noted.
Compliance with the law will be monitored by both Market Surveillance Inspection Body and local self-government bodies.
“A fine is established for violating the requirements of the law. In case of a first violation, a warning is issued, and thereafter a fine of AMD 100,000–150,000 is imposed. Monitoring will be carried out through observation. This means that an inspector may enter at any time and conduct an inspection. Even the presence of such products in a store will be prohibited. Even if they say they are not selling them, this should not be the case,” Lusine Avetisyan noted.
The adoption of this legislative package does not mean that plastic will completely disappear from our lives; such a misconception exists among certain segments of society.
Plastic bottles, plastic containers with lids used for packaging, and packaging bags necessary for selling certain types of food will remain in circulation. Bags made from recycled materials for waste are not prohibited.
This material was created within “Waste Policy Armenia” (WPA) program, funded by Sweden and implemented by the AUA Acopian Center for the Environment, with financial support from Sweden and technical support from AUA.
The views, conclusions, and opinions presented belong to the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the program, the American University of Armenia, or the Government of Sweden.
March 27, 2026 at 18:18