Community Chat
Plastic not-so-fantastic
Your views:
Plastic bags are a major topic being Anyone who needs further evidence of
discussed by residents throughout the Red the detrimental impact plastic pollution,
Sea’s diving destinations, as a total ban need look no further than the shocking
of their use looks set to happen this year. photographs of the vortex of rubbish
According to a Sharm el Sheikh resident- floating in the Pacific between Hawaii
led conservation group Clean Sharm a and the US mainland. This floating plastic
What’s the best way to encourage communities
plastic bag ban in South Sinai and Red Sea waste is the size of Texas and is growing.
and tourists in Egypt to stop using plastic bags?
will likely start from 1 August 2009. More than 80 per cent comes from land
around the Pacific and North America.
‘No plastic bags for free in the supermarket any
‘From that day alternatives for plastic bags
longer, like Europe. Raise money to give cotton
should be used, such as the cotton bags The ocean and its inhabitants remain the
bag to locals with less money, such as kids in
for shopping that will be made available main victims of this pollution problem.
schools. Perhaps a welcome gift from hotels to
to consumers by Clean Sharm, if necessary, Discarded plastic is responsible for the
tourists could be a cotton bag with hotel logo.’
and bio-degradable bags for garbage death of many seabirds, turtle, whales
Martina Aziz, dive centre marketing manager in
collection,’ Clean Sharm said. and seals around the world. There are
Hurghada. She uses a basket to carry her shopping.
an estimated 6,000 pieces of non-
The group has been working tirelessly to degradable plastic in every square mile of
‘Let people use cotton bags to put their shop-
push for the ban and educate not only the ocean posing a threat to around 267
ping in.’
tourists and the expat community about species.
Ahmed Nubi, divemaster in Dahab. He uses his
the damage caused by plastic bag waste,
backpack to carry his shopping.
but also local schools and shopkeepers. It Among the records of dead animals from
is currently appealing for volunteer help the Marine Conservation Society database
‘Charge at least 5LE for each plastic bag at a
(www.cleansharm.org). in the UK was an endangered leatherback
shop. Educate the sales persons and community
turtle which was found with 57kg of
about the problem plastic bags cause, as many
In Hurghada, environmental group HEPCA plastic bags blocking its insides. A minke
still don’t know. Sell cotton bags at the coun-
has been looking at similar schemes whale was found washed up in France
ter or give out re-useable paper bags for free
to provide cotton and canvas bags as with 800kg of plastic bags inside its gut.
instead of plastic bags.’
alternatives.
Matthias Briet, dive centre managing director
And it’s not only the actual plastic that
in Hurghada. He uses cotton bags he bought in
Banning plastic bags has become a global poses a threat, but also the chemicals in
Europe in 1993 to carry his shopping.
phenomenon over the past few years. The the plastic, which have been found to

recent jaw-dropping revelation that the cause problems in the immune systems of
‘Charge for plastic bags.’
ban in China has saved 1.6 million tonnes animals. A plastic bag may take anything
Sigrid Moors, dive centre marketing manager and
of oil in a year, shows what impact our from 50 to a thousand years to break
open water instructor who works in Dahab. She
simple shopping carrier bags can have on down, but even when you reach that
uses her ‘Cuban basket’ to carry her shopping.
the environment. The ban in China was point, the dust of microscopic particles it
introduced a year ago and has significantly produces could send fatal toxins down the
‘Don’t make them available. Hit the retail sector
reduced waste and helped change marine life food chain.
and offer free promotional bags with advertising
attitudes, according to the China Chain
on them at a low cost.’
Store and Franchise Association. This doesn’t make for light reading.
Victoria Bell, safari boat reservations manager
That’s why many in our community are
in Sharm el Sheikh. She uses a bag made from
Plastic bag use in China has fallen by looking into and promoting plastic bag
recycled material that folds down to compact size
two-thirds, as consumers have now grown alternatives for shopping.
for her shopping.
accustomed to using their own re-useable
bags. That’s a saving of 0 billion dumped
plastic bags.
28 www.cdws.travel
Issue 1 June 2009
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