Deterrent Penalties Planned to Curb Single-Use Plastic Bags in Egypt

Egypt is moving toward imposing stricter penalties to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags, as part of a broader national strategy to combat plastic pollution and protect marine ecosystems.

Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development and Environment, chaired a high-level meeting to review ongoing measures aimed at limiting single-use plastic consumption. 

The meeting was attended by senior officials including the heads of the Environmental Affairs Agency and the Waste Management Regulatory Authority, as well as the director of the ministry’s Plastic Unit.

Awad emphasized that the ministry has worked for years to curb plastic bag usage due to its severe environmental and biodiversity risks. She reviewed national, regional, and international actions undertaken to address plastic pollution, including the launch of Egypt’s national strategy to reduce single-use plastic bags under directives from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

The minister stressed the need to activate deterrent penalties under Waste Management Law, particularly executive regulations governing the circulation of single-use plastic bags. She also referenced Prime ministerial decree, which introduces Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic shopping bags.

Coordination is also underway with the Ministry of Industry to enforce another ministerial decree adopting Egyptian Standard Specification 3040, requiring manufacturers to produce plastic bags with a minimum thickness of 50 microns, a move intended to reduce excessive single-use consumption.

Awad called for expanding environmentally friendly alternatives, particularly in key tourist destinations such as Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada, in coordination with environmental authorities in South Sinai and the Red Sea governorates. Public awareness campaigns will highlight the impact of plastic waste on marine ecosystems and coral reefs.

Among the planned initiatives is the production of a short animated film targeting schoolchildren to raise awareness about plastic pollution and promote responsible environmental behavior. Media campaigns such as “Qalleelha” (“Reduce It”) will continue, alongside outreach visits to schools and universities.

The meeting also reviewed cooperation with international development partners to finance projects aimed at reducing plastic bag consumption and promoting circular economy practices.

Efforts include collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization to strengthen circular practices across the plastic value chain, and with the German Agency for International Cooperation to establish an Extended Producer Responsibility system for packaging waste and develop its financial and technical framework.

Additional cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency focuses on waste reduction models in Port Said, while solid waste components are being addressed under a Greater Cairo air pollution and climate change management project supported by the World Bank.