Al-Masry Al-Youm

Egypt’s Minister of Environment Yasmin Fouad announced on Sunday that the ministry has begun work on phasing out plastic bags due to the environmental danger they pose, adding that hypermarkets have already begun replacing plastic bags with eco-friendly and biodegradable alternatives.

Fouad said that the Energy and Environment Committee in House of Representatives discussed on Sunday a briefing request by parliamentarian Reda Beltagy regarding the negative health effects of plastic bags used for transferring and distributing food.

According to studies, the hypermarkets ranked as the largest user of plastic bags, followed by supermarkets and sellers of vegetables and fruits. Studies also show that Cairo governorate ranked as the highest user of plastic bags.

Fouad said that the government has banned plastic bags in Hurghada in June.

She warned of the dangers of using plastic bags on the air, drainage pipes, plants and marine life, pointing out that light-weight plastic bags were the most dangerous.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

Minister: Egypt’s Environment Ministry seeks to replace plastic bags