Orchestra 
DIGITAL WORLD
BRICS+ Media Centre 
MODERN RUSSIAN 
15.07.2617:00 
15.07.2616:30 
Tunisia proposes ban on single-use plastic bags
The country’s authorities intend to introduce environmentally friendly alternatives to plastic
Members of Assembly of People’s Representatives have put forward a legislative initiative aimed at a nationwide ban on single-use plastic bags and a mandatory shift by the market towards sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives. The bill aims to combat plastic pollution, protect public health and facilitate Tunisia’s transition to a circular economy. This was reported by Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP), a partner of TV BRICS.
If the law is passed, the distribution or sale of single-use plastic bags at shop checkouts will be prohibited. Following a transition period lasting no more than one year, manufacturers and importers will completely cease the production, import and distribution of such bags. During this same period, the use of plastic packaging for food products and goods sold by weight will also be phased out.
The bill sets out strict technical requirements for alternatives. Only reusable bags with a thickness of at least 50 microns, capable of withstanding a load of up to 10 kilogrammes and designed for at least 20 cycles of use, as well as biodegradable bags, which must degrade by at least 90 per cent within six months under industrial conditions or within 12 months under domestic conditions, without forming microplastics.
MPs are also proposing to launch a national industrial support programme to convert production lines to manufacture environmentally friendly products. To this end, subsidised loans will be provided and tax incentives introduced.
Furthermore, the bill enshrines the principle of "Extended Producer Responsibility" (EPR), under which companies will bear financial and environmental responsibility for their products throughout their entire life cycle, including the collection and disposal of waste.
The bill provides for strict penalties for violations: fines and the confiscation of illegal products. In the event of a repeat offence, fines will be doubled and businesses may be shut down. Criminal liability is also provided for the illegal production or import of banned plastic bags.
Many BRICS countries are reducing their use of single-use plastics and developing environmentally friendly alternatives.
In Egypt, the Ministry of the Environment has launched an awareness campaign called "Reduce It", aimed at raising public awareness of the environmental and health risks associated with the use of plastic bags and encouraging a switch to environmentally friendly alternatives. Egypt’s Minister for the Environment, Yasmine Fouad, emphasised that reducing the production of plastic bags would help cut costs associated with importing raw materials. She also highlighted the serious damage that plastic pollution causes to living organisms, particularly marine species, reports Xinhua News Agency, a partner of TV BRICS.
Dubai Municipality has announced that the final phase of the ban on single-use plastic items came into effect on 1 January this year, covering a wide range of packaging and goods, according to Emirates News Agency (WAM), a partner of TV BRICS. In particular, the restrictions apply to drink cups and their lids, cutlery, plates, drinking straws, stirrers, and expanded polystyrene food containers.
A ban on the production, import, storage, sale and use of plastic bags has already come into force in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority noted that this decision is intended to safeguard citizens’ right to a healthy environment, as well as to reduce the risk of a number of diseases linked to plastic pollution. The agency pointed out that plastic can remain in the soil and other natural environments for over a hundred years without decomposing, causing serious damage to nature and human health. This was reported by Fana Media Corporation (FMC), a partner of TV BRICS.
22.07.2614:00 
25 minutes 32 sec.