The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and the Environment stated in Horta that the environmental impact resulting from the abusive use of plastic bags are particularly acute on islands. In addition to implementing a deterrent fee for their use, the Government of the Azores promotes, starting February 16, a public awareness campaign titled as "Don't put the Azores in a bag."
 
Luís Neto Viveiros spoke at the public presentation of this campaign promoted by ERSARA (Entity for the Regulation of Water and Waste Services). It will be disseminated in the coming weeks in several platforms, including television, radio and newspapers.
 
The government official also stressed that the four-cent rate will enter into force on April 1 in large commercial establishments and will be extended to small trade a year later.
 
Neto Viveiros stressed that, contrary to what has been decided in Mainland Portugal, the environmental tax in the Azores is "applied to all plastic bags, regardless of their weight," as well as to biodegradable bags; restrictions are imposed on advertising.
 
According to the regional legislation, plastic bags used for packaging food will be tax-exempt; their price should be listed in the customer receipt.
 
According to data released by the European Commission, every year over eight billion plastic bags end up in a dump, which causes serious problems in terms of waste management due its slow degradation.
 
The environmental consequences are worsening in coastal and island regions such as the Azores since plastic bags are considered to be largely responsible for the endangerment of marine life.