Fines of up to MNT 1 million will be enforced in Mongolia from 1 March, 2019 for producing, selling or even using plastic bags. The Mongolian Cabinet decided in June to ban plastic bags nationwide with a thickness of less than 0.035 millimeters. This ban is being seen as one of a raft of measures aimed at removing threats to the environment.

Mongolia annually uses plastic bags worth of MNT 520 billion; 75 percent of them are imported. The country imports on average 132 thousand plastic bottles and bags annually.

Plastic bags cause many minor and major ecological and environmental problems. For a country with such beautiful landscapes as Mongolia, it is important that the countryside be kept tidy – this is an economic factor considering the importance of attracting tourists. The bags, however, cause specific ecological problems, especially when they pollute major water sources, rivers, and streams.