Environment Minister Attila Korodi said he wants to stop the free distribution of plastic bags in shopping centers in Romania.

Korodi said the ban would encourage shoppers to use more environmentally safe containers -- such as cloth sacks -- to carry their goods, HotNews reported Friday.

He said the change would reduce pollution caused by plastic bags, which slow the biodegradation process by taking up to a century to decompose.

Korodi said the ban could take effect at in 2009 and additional taxes could be charged to businesses that decide to continue distributing plastic bags.