Ms. Leila Chikhaoui, Minister of the Environment of Tunisia, announced on 11 May 2022 the launch of a nationwide communication campaign aiming to boost citizen awareness and participation in the country’s ambitious efforts to phase out single-use plastic bags. The campaign titled “Let us be responsible” is supported by the UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centre ‘MedWaves’ specialized in sustainable consumption and production.
One year after the introduction of a decree n°2020- 32 of January 16, 2020, laying down the types of plastic bags the production, import, distribution and possession of which are prohibited on the internal market and its effective implementation entry into force from 1 January 2021, the campaign takes aim at existing patterns of use of plastic bags by shopkeepers and consumers. The main goal of the campaign is to clarify which type of plastic bags are now banned while promoting more sustainable options such as reusable bags.
In accordance with the decree 2020-32, all single-use plastic bags are banned with the exception of those thicker than 40 microns with a volume higher than 30 litres, bags made of biodegradable material, or ultralight items used for weighing fruits and vegetables.
Five Tunisian associations will convey the campaign’s messages to communities across the country with a focus on six cities, namely Tunis, Tabarka, Sfax, Gabès, Djerba and. The deployment of the campaign will involve visits to markets and shops and other outreach activities that will seek to secure the public’s uptake of the relevel legal provisions on single-use plastic bags. Public outreach activities will provide opportunities for assessing patterns in relation of the use of plastic bags, thus allowing for targeted behavioural change efforts in the years to come.
The support provided by UNEP/MAP-MedWaves to Tunisian partners comes as part of the implementation of relevant provisions of the Barcelona Convention, its Protocols and regional action plans. The EU-funded project Marine Litter Med, currently being implemented by UNEP/MAP, also contributes to the campaign design and rollout.
The 22nd Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols (COP22, Antalya, Turkey, 7-10 December 2021) adopted several decisions that will accelerate the transition to a single-use plastic-free future in the Mediterranean, including amendments to the Regional Plan on Marine Litter Management in the Mediterranean (in the Framework of Article 15 of the Land Based Sources Protocol to the Barcelona Convention), amendments to Annexes I, II and IV to the Protocol for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution from Land-Based Sources and Activities (LBS Protocol), and a set of regional measures to support the development of green and circular businesses and to strengthen demand for more sustainable products.
