Tunisia set to impose ban on plastic bags by 2017

About one billion plastic bags are used each year in Tunisia. That’s a real problem according to the Tunisian Ministry of Environment which is now addressing the problem as it is set to implement a ban on non-biodegradable plastic bags.

The ban is being proposed in order to protect the country’s biodiversity.

Plastic litter has become a problem along Tunisia’s landscape. However at La Marsa municipal souk in a northern suburb of Tunis, opinions differed on the decision.

“The plastic bags ban is decided, there is no going back. But this will be done reasonably. We will give industrial manufacturers a bit of time. It will be one year after the decision is published in an official publication. This should be in March 2016. So the implementation of the ban will be in 2017,” said Tunisian Environment Minister, Najib Darouich.

The plastic bags ban is decided, there is no going back. But this will be done reasonably.

#Tunisia is blazing a trail in the Arab region, poised to to ban the use of plastic bags https://t.co/rV00iNIgBQ #environment

— Agora MedSpring (@AgoraMedSpring) February 11, 2016

A regulatory decree prohibiting export, distribution and manufacture of the non-biodegradable plastic bags has been prepared and presented to parliament.

If it goes ahead as planned, Tunisia will become the first Arab country to ban non-biodegradable plastic bags.

Reuters