The Egyptian government issued a decision to classify plastic shopping bags as products subject to the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy, making manufacturers responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, from production to post-consumer waste.
The decision, to be implemented under the Waste Management Law (Law No. 202 of 2020), would require producers to pay fees to government entities in exchange for the safe disposal of waste generated from these bags. A fee of 37.5 Egyptian pounds per kilogram of bags sold in the local market will be imposed starting June 3rd, 2025.
“The decision was long overdue, and very necessary to activate Article 17 of the Waste Management Law. It is the first EPR to be applied in Egypt on producers in a manner that taxes the consumption of single-use plastic,” Public Health Engineer and Director of Greenish Egypt Mohamed Kamal told Egyptian Streets.
“Now there is a platform that will consolidate the big consumers of single-use plastic bags, and the government will start to collect money that will be used and reinvested through the Waste Management Regulatory Authority Fund”, Kamal explained.
“It is also positive for civil society, because now it provides a space for further advocacy, to push for further ambition from the government,” Kamal said.
Getting the decision through faced a lot of pushback from the industrial lobby and different industrial stakeholders associated with the process, he stated.
The step was taken in response to efforts from the Ministry of Environment.
“Egypt’s decision to limit the use of single-use plastic bags is a significant and commendable step in the right direction and rightfully places the responsibility on producers for the full lifecycle of their products, from production to disposal. Meanwhile, government agencies would be committed to safely disposing of the plastic waste, ensuring accountability and waste reduction,” said Greenpeace Middle East and North Africa’s Executive Director Ghiwa Nakat in a statement.
Moving forward, there needs to be a disclaimer provided to the consumer at checkout with clear disclosure of the price of a plastic bag, or the bag has to be bar-coded like other products, according to Kamal.
“It is easy for people to critique that the consumer will now bear the burden of the increased price, but the consumer now has the ability to make a conscious decision,” he said, noting that this could incentivize people to start using reusable bags.
Alternatives to single-use plastic bags are cotton, cloth, and high-quality plastic bags that can all be reused for a great amount of time. He added, “They’re affordable, durable, and environmentally friendly. It’s that simple.”
One of the key challenges that might affect the implementation of the law is that this decision specifically focuses on one type of plastic bag. According to Kamal, some manufacturers and large distributors of single-use plastic bags could adopt a new formula for the plastic bag where the EPR would not be applied.
Another challenge, as Kamal pointed out, is getting companies to enroll in the online system, follow the procedures, and transparently disclose the amount of plastic consumed.
“The ideal scenario would be to start taxing production as well, but let’s be optimistic and take it one step at a time,” he said.
The decision comes ahead of the second round of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5.2). Taking place in August, the negotiations are to develop a legally binding global treaty on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.
The MENA region has the highest per capita plastic footprint, whereby more than 6 kg of plastic waste per resident is dumped into the ocean annually, according to the World Bank.
“By embracing policies that reduce plastic waste and ensure accountability, Egypt is setting a positive example for other countries to follow. We encourage Egyptian leaders to continue this momentum by championing a strong and ambitious Global Plastics Treaty, one that significantly reduces plastic production, phases out single-use plastics, encourages reuse targets, and advocates for strong financial mechanisms that ensure a fair and equitable transition to a zero-waste economy,” Nakat said.
“This is a moment of opportunity. With regional leadership and global collaboration, we can turn the tide on plastic pollution and build a future free from plastic waste,” she stated.
