Monday 19th, August 2013
The Sultanate's Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs will soon issue a decision banning the use of plastic bags to reduce its long-term negative effects. It has already formed a team from various bodies to study the adverse impact of plastic bags on the environment. The team consists of representatives from the Ministry itself, the Ministries of Commerce and Industry, Health and Regional Municipalities, Omani Environment Services Holding Company (OESHC) and Environment Society of Oman (ESO). The team studies everything regarding plastic bags including their adverse effects, solutions and ways to raise awareness. This step has been taken after noticing the Sultanate's vast use of different kinds of plastic bags all over malls and markets, despite few initiatives of using biodegradable and paper bags by some shops that sells clothes and shoes.
On the other hand, some restaurants were found keeping food stuff in plastic bags and storing them in refrigerators for days. This act affects directly on nutritional value of these foods by exposing them to chemical leak resulted from plastic bags. With the commercial activities increasing, usage of plastic bags is expected to increase steadily, yet, neither exact reliable data is available to know the real number of plastic bags used annually in the Sultanate, nor certified Omani standards. The ministry nowadays is working on setting up a working plan to reduce all harmful results of using certain kind of plastic bags and it has already laid out some procedures to be implemented soon. One of the step will be an obligatory resolution to be standing for concerned parties. It also considers reviewing GCC standard specifications to make Omani ones that go along with Omani environment. Also, launching of a media campaign to raise the awareness about negative effect of plastic bags on human beings and environment, besides introducing the ministry procedures regarding this issue.
It is believed that whenever the measures are taken it will come to a satisfying result. The current suggestion is to replace these bags with biodegradable ones, and then to paper bags. However, using fabric-made bags or those made of biomaterials will be the right choice. Herein some of the damages caused by plastic bags as stated by US Environmental Protection Agency. Plastic bags are one out of twenty products that are considered the most dangerous materials as they are made of Petroleum derivatives and chemical substances. They are non-biodegradable and they affect pollination process of plants. If they remain above soil, they harm its microbe balance and prevent plants nutrition. If they are buried under soil, they separate it into two parts; an upper part that encloses water of rain so it doesn't infiltrate into wells, and a lower part that doesn't get neither water or needed fertilisations. Around 60 to 80 per cent of rubbish found in bottom of rivers and seas are plastic.
Studies have also proved that using plastic bags in containing hot bread and snacks is dangerous as they interact with those meals and cause serious diseases, cancer is common. Also because of their lightness and easiness of use, plastic bags could remain for years without decomposition and that makes it a main factor in polluting open spaces, streets, towns and beaches. They, in most times, get stuck on trees and plants which makes it difficult for the sunlight to reach them. That causes a weakness in photosynthesis process which eventually causes death of plants. They float over water of sea and rivers and form a fertilised environment to parasites. In case of burn, toxic gases emit from plastic bags like chlorine and carbone dioxide, different dioxins, and toxic hydraulic acidic compounds. Moreover, being spread over beaches, plastic bags threatened marine life and causes death to some sea creatures like dolphins, whales, and turtles because they feed on them.
© Oman Daily Observer 2013
