A CALL to phase out the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags in Bahrain went out yesterday from a government environment specialist.
The country is generating 224 tonnes of plastic waste every day, according to Public Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources, Environment and Wildlife senior environmental specialist Rehan Ahmed.
He said a major contributor was plastic bags and called on authorities to do more to encourage the use of environmentally friendly alternatives and urged the public to reuse plastic bags.
"The government should play a major role in promoting the replacement of plastic bags with environmentally-friendly bags to avoid pollution," he said.
"This will be done gradually by promoting awareness among the public.
"Plastic goods and packaging results in waste that constitutes a sizeable percentage of litter and poses risks to human health and the environment."
He revealed that nearly 90 per cent of litter found floating on water was plastic, adding that plastic bags were among the 12 items found most often in coastal cleanups.
"They cause clogging of storm water drains, effluent pipes, inlets and outlets," said Mr Ahmed.
"Plastic bags are an eyesore and are difficult to break down - taking around 400 to 1,000 years to disappear.
"They break down into smaller and smaller toxic elements, contaminating soil and waterways and entering the food chain when they are ingested by animals.
"The number of marine animals killed each year due to plastic bags is around 100,000.
"The average number of pieces of plastic in each square mile of ocean is around 46,000.
"But 1.8 tonnes of oil is saved for every tonne of recycled polythene produced."
He added that when a tonne of plastic bags are reused or recycled, the energy equivalent of 11 barrels of oil is saved.
The average person in Bahrain uses around 329 bags a year, added Mr Ahmed.
"Plastic bag consumption per person per year is very high in Taiwan at 900," he said.
"The figure is 326 for Australia, 316 for Ireland and 213 for the UK, while the world average is around 150.
"The solution to normal plastic bags is utilisation of biodegradable plastic bags, efficiently managing plastic bags, reusing the bags as much as we can and enhancing segregation and recycling."
Mr Ahmed made his comments before addressing a seminar on Use of Biodegradable Plastic Bags in Bahrain at the Crowne Plaza last night.
Chief guest at the event, organised by the Institution of Engineers Pakistan - Bahrain Chapter (IEP-BC), was Municipalities and Agriculture Ministry Under-Secretary Dr Juma Ahmed Al Kaabi.
Guest of honour was Pakistan Ambassador Ikramullah Mehsud and other speakers included Manama Packaging Industry (MPI) operations manager Harikrishnan Thekkat, marketing manager Zahoor Hakeem, and Bahrain University continuous scientific education programme director Dr Saeed Al Alawi.
The IEP-BC honoured two journalists at the event: GDN associate editor Soman Baby and Bahrain Tribune reporter Mehmood Rafique were honoured for their role in raising community awareness.
The IEP-BC journal was also launched and distributed among participants.
aniqa@gdn.com.bh
