Plastic bag in Armenia, then and at the present

Vaհe H Apelian

 

Zartonk Media reported today that Armenia’s National Assembly has given final approval to legislation that will ban the sale and commercial use of plastic bags and certain single use plastic products by 2027.

It is fair that I dwell first on this important legislation. Such legislations do not seem to attract attention, especially in the present heated atmosphere about the upcoming June 7, 2026 general election. 

I quote from the report. 

“The legislation is aimed at addressing the environmental harm caused by plastic products that are typically used only briefly before being discarded. Supporters of the bill say plastic bags and other single-use items have become a visible source of pollution in Armenia’s resort areas and tourist destinations.

Businesses that violate the ban will face administrative penalties. A first offense will result in a warning, while a second or subsequent violation will carry a fine of 100,000 to 150,000 drams.”

***

The girl in the kolkhoz 

The news took me back five decades and a few years more when I visited Armenia for the first time during 1969/1970-time frame. I was a student at the American University of Beirut (AUB). The Embassy of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) had organized for the students of AUB a tour that took us to Yerevan,  where we stayed for a week or so. From Yerevan we flew to Leningrad, the present-day Saint Petersburg, and from there we went to Moscow by train. Internet tell me that “The train ride between St. Petersburg and Moscow is generally considered unremarkable rather than scenic, featuring typical Russian landscapes of forests, fields, and small villages.” However, that is not the impression I am left with. It remains a me a memorable train ride.  

The tour took place during the University’s Easter break and lasted anywhere between 10 to 14 days. I have retained to this day fond memories of my visit and meeting our relatives. I have written about the girl I met in a kolkhoz, a farming commune on our way visiting Lake Sevan. Those interested to hear about her and my brief encounter with her, may read the attached link titled “what happened to her?”

The other incident pertains to a plastic bag.

With few others we had gone to a market in Yerevan. I do not remember what was it that I bought. The seller, instead of putting the purchase in a bag, had them wrapped in a paper, making it very difficult, almost impossible for me to keep it wrapped to carry. I asked the seller if he had a bag. He did not have. At that moment a lady, who happened to be standing next to me, opened her purse and removed a neatly folded plastic bag and offered it to me. It was obvious that she had kept that plastic bag with care, having it neatly folded in her purse. I thanked her but I refused to accept her offer. She insisted that I take it. She was so adamant about it that I gave in and thanked her and took plastic bag.

I remember to this day unwrapping it. The crease lines of the folds of the plastic bag were very visible and firm. It was not an unused plastic bag. It was apparent that she had neatly folded the plastic bag, as she had done many times before, and had carried it with her for her day’s shopping. After that casual encounter we departed way. Having a guest from adrasahman – overseas - was a rarity during those days. Everyone seemed to welcome the visitor. Our relatives’ neighbors, dropping by to welcome me. So had that lady. She went out of her way to make sure that I am not inconvenienced in any way. 

Having just typed the paragraph, I asked AI if plastic bags were rare in the Soviet Union in 1960’s. This is what the all-knowing AI said, “Yes, plastic bags were exceptionally rare in the Soviet Union during the 1960s, often acting as luxury items or status symbols rather than functional daily items. They only began to appear more frequently in the 1970s and 1980s, typically imported from the West or sourced through black market.” 

Visiting Armenia during those years was a privilege offered to few. Armenia was much different then, than the one I visited a decade ago, in 2015. Much had changed. Many of our relatives or their children had left Armenia. Those who had remained there were younger than I when I visited the families in 1969/70. Grown up, they too, like their parents welcomed me royally.

 It sure is hard to disassociate oneself from Armenia.

Link: “what happened to her?” - https://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2023/05/what-happened-to-her.html