WWF launches campaign against plastic bags in Tunisia

05 / 07 / 2021

By ANSAmed - -

The World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) has launched in Tunisia a campaign to “change together our attitude” and “say no to plastic bags”, to celebrate Plastic Bag Free Day on July 3, which aims to eliminate single-use plastic bags worldwide.

WWF said on social media that Tunisia recycles some 20,000 tons of plastic a year in plastic bags while the country produces three billion plastic bags a year and imports another 1.2 billion. The WWF also expressed regret over the lack of implementation of decree 32 from January 16, 2020, which bans the free distribution of single-use plastic bags of a depth of less than 40 micron in public and private commercial spaces, and in pharmacies, starting in January 2021.

But while plastic bags continue to ruin the natural landscape of the country, the lobby of producers is opposing a ban on their use in Tunisia, the organization stressed. The union representing plastic producers and transformers justified opposition to decree 32-2020 with the fact that the environment ministry did not implement agreements on subsidies for producers affected by the measure and the absence of technical support enabling them to adapt to new technologies for the production of biodegradable bags.