Palestine: Solid waste management under occupation Published: 7 October 2020 Plastic Atlas Palestinians face many difficulties in solid waste management due to the policies of the occupation, but waste amounts are increasing due to both population growth and consumption patterns. This calls for better management and a concerted effort among all sectors to find solutions to this problem. By Nidal Atallah
The Heinrich Böll Foundation Launches the Plastic Atlas- MENA Region Edition Published: 28 October 2020 News Through an online launch held on 07 October 2020, hbs offices in Ramallah, Tunis, Rabat, and Beirut release the MENA Region Edition of the Plastic Atlas.
Local Initiatives: Towards banning single-use plastic bags in Tunisia Published: 7 October 2020 Plastic Atlas In order to fight the plastic pollution that Tunisia is experiencing given the increasing amount of plastic waste, a new governmental decree has been declared banning single-use plastic bags. This step was preceded by a series of procedures that paved the way for it, but the effectiveness of this decree is predicated on a strict implementation and a clear vision. By Anis Guerfi
In Jordan, Governmental Measures are Limited to Solid Waste, ALBEIT SHY INITIATIVES FOR Sorting and Recycling. Published: 7 October 2020 Plastic Atlas In light of the absence of governmental plans and programs for waste management in Jordan, sorting and recycling processes for plastic waste are limited to individual initiatives by activists and environmental organizations. The amount of solid waste reaching 19 landfills in Jordan has increased to about 1.662 million tons annually, despite the existence of legislations that regulate this process. By Farah Atyyat
Tunisia: Tunisian Islands are suffocating with plastic Published: 7 October 2020 Plastic Atlas Tunisia, with its sixty islands and islets overlooking the coast, suffers from a plastic plague that causes pollution that looms as far as the eye can see. By Wassim Chaabane
Plastic Waste Management in Tunisia: Towards a shared responsibility Published: 5 October 2020 Plastic Atlas Plastic, with its different sizes, presents an imminent threat to public health and one that is fatal for terrestrial and marine fauna and flora. The good management of plastic waste, which includes production, marketing, use, collection and recycling, is essentially linked to the economic policy, social aspects, and the environmental measures taken by the country. By Wassim Chaabane
Zero Mika or the Difficulty in Getting Rid of Plastic Bags in Morocco: Sometimes a law is just not enough Published: 4 October 2020 Plastic Atlas Four years after the ban on plastic bags in Morocco, one can notice that they are still used extensively. Efforts have been put into action to formalise this ban, but some of the approaches adopted since the law 77-15 was passed have had limited effects. By Mamoun Ghallab
Morocco’s Plastic Plague: A formal system… with informal connections Published: 3 October 2020 Plastic Atlas Plastic represents 10 percent of household waste in Morocco or around 690,000 tonnes a year. There is also a lot of plastic found in industrial waste (granules, industrial packaging waste...) and in waste produced by the agricultural sector. Yet, only a very small portion of this is recycled. By Ayman Rachid
Regulation: Solutions at the wrong end Published: 4 November 2019 Plastic Atlas There is no lack of agreements and initiatives to manage the plastic crisis. But almost all address waste disposal only; they are not coordinated with each other, and they absolve manufacturers of their responsibilities. By Linda Mederake, Doris Knoblauch and Stephan Gürtler
Waste Exports: The rubbish dump is closed Published: 4 November 2019 Plastic Atlas What to do with your unwanted plastic bottles and bags? Simple: send them somewhere else. Until recently, much of the developed world’s hard-to-recycle waste was shipped off to China. That is no longer an option. By Claire Arkin
