TEHRAN – According to the head of the Department of Environment (DOE), Shina Ansari, waste and plastic pollution are the two main challenges facing the country.
The waste management law was passed in the Iranian year 1383 (March 2004-2005), but it has not been implemented properly, ISNA quoted Ansari as saying.
She made the remarks at a press conference held to mark the start of a national campaign titled ‘Say no to plastic’.
Plastics have revolutionised industries. Plastic is derived from crude oil and is a product of the petrochemical industry. Given the oppressive sanctions, lowering plastic use is not a luxury but a necessity that benefits the environment and impacts the country’s production processes.
The current campaign does not aim to eliminate plastic; it focuses on single-use plastics and the problems they cause. Micro-plastics are now found in lakes, rivers, seas, freshwater sources like drinking water, and the food chain, posing potential risks that demand attention. This problem is not exclusive to our country; a global consensus and agreement on the restriction of plastic consumption is expected to be reached in the future, she noted.
“Iran, the same as many other countries, has adopted measures, particularly developing culture on reducing the use of plastic, to tackle plastic pollution, but they were all temporary. For example, in 2022, the regulation for the removal of plastic bags with a thickness of below 25 microns was put on the agenda, but it failed to monitor its implementation.
In Iran, over 95 percent of plastic bags are used only once, yet they persist in the environment, taking 200 to 400 years to decompose. We are committed to supporting domestic production through a circular economy approach and the ‘Say no to plastic’ campaign, as a national initiative,” Ansari highlighted.
The campaign aims to reduce the use of plastic and harmful products through promoting culture and transforming the campaign into a coherent, traceable initiative with the cooperation of all sectors, including industries and environmental experts.
Highlighting the role of media in the success of the campaign, Ansari noted that the campaign is not merely a cultural initiative; it is designed based on measurable indicators and short-term, mid-term, and long-term planning; the media will play a crucial role in achieving the campaign’s objectives through information dissemination, advocacy, and constructive criticism.
The official went on to say that the DOE has established a specific secretariat to evaluate, audit, and rank government agencies in terms of plastic waste management; this ranking system has been integrated into the budget law, making a portion of the budget contingent upon it, which enforces compliance among the agencies.
MT/MG
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