Good News for the Planet

Kyiv’s legendary market on the end of Khreschatyk, Bessarabsky, has recently announced that it is banning the use of plastic and polyethylene. We know the problems associated with these materials: they do not degrade. They sit in landfill sites or are carried on the winds to pollute whatever place they happen to fall on, and they’re becoming one of the most challenging questions globally because of how much these materials pollute our oceans. As such, in a rather surprising step, Bessarabsky market decided that the day of their 107th birthday (yes, it really is that old!) will be the same day they outlaw packaging made from these materials.

Ukraine might not be known as a global leader of the environmental movement, and there’s certainly a lot of air pollution from heavy industry and power generation in this country, but this is definitely a step in the right direction. Bessarabsky has a very high profile, and a big footfall, so lots of people will be seeing this and, hopefully, understanding the reason why this step has been taken. We should all do our bit when it comes to looking after the environment, and we commend Bessarabsky for this initiative!