Mehdi Abdelli, Head of Information, Public Relations, and Communication at the Ministry of Environment, spoke on Friday, June 28, 2024, on the National Radio morning show.
He stated that Tunisia consumes 4.2 billion plastic bags annually, with 1.2 billion coming from the black market.
Abdelli also emphasized that the Mediterranean Sea is one of the most polluted seas by plastic, warning about its impact on biodiversity and the irreversibility of this environmental scourge.
He called for improving the working conditions of plastic collectors, stressing the importance of selective sorting and recycling to address the situation. Abdelli further revealed that 10% of waste in Tunisia is plastic waste, noting that a 2019 study by the ministry estimated the financial losses due to plastic pollution at sixty million dinars.
« The entire world has recognized the danger of plastic to the environment, and 175 countries are currently working on a treaty on plastic pollution that will be binding for members (…) The importance and reality of this danger are unanimous and not subject to debate (…) The Ministry of Environment operates on a very limited budget but is making every effort to improve the environmental situation with the help of all stakeholders, » concluded Mr. Abdelli.
