• About Us
  • Readers Write
  • Our People
Carthage Magazine
  • Home
  • News
  • Food & Drinks
    • Taste Tunisia
  • People
    • Interviews
    • No Sugarcoating
    • Environment
  • Style & Travel
    • Attractions
    • Trip Planning
      • Travel Information
      • Hotels in Tunisia
      • Cost of Living
      • Tunisia’s Language
      • Tunisia’s Weather
      • Tunisia’s Currency
      • Tunisia’s Visa
    • Transport in Tunisia
      • Traveling Around
      • Local Transport
      • Flights to Tunisia
      • Ferries to Tunisia
      • Tunisia Overland
    • Things to Do
      • Leisure
  • Local History
    • Museums
    • Monuments
    • Heritage Sites
    • Historical Figures
  • Education
  • Tech & Startups
  • Editors’ Picks
EnvironmentNews

Fed Up with the Waste, Djerba Is Going Plastic-Free3 min read

By Contributing Editor July 3, 2022
Written by Contributing Editor July 3, 2022
No plastic in Djerba

Starting from August 1st, Tunisia’s Djerba is moving away from damaging dependence on plastic disposables.

Tunisia has a plastic problem. The country has the fourth highest per capita plastic consumption in the Mediterranean region, according to a World Wildlife Fund report released in 2019.

The actual report states that plastic pollution costs Tunisia’s economy an average of approximately $20 million each year. Plastic waste has negative effects on tourism, shipping, and fishing. In Tunisia, 0.8 million tonnes of plastic waste are released into the environment, accounting 20% of all plastic waste discarded in the Mediterranean region.

Finally, many Tunisians have decided enough is enough. Government officials and private citizens say it’s high time to acknowledge the problem and change wasteful behavior.

Plastic waste in a beach in Kerkennah.
Plastic waste in a beach in Kerkennah.

Tunisian authorities put a plastic bag law into effect on March 1, 2019, leading to an 80 percent drop in the use of disposable grocery bags in just one year. That’s equivalent to more than 10,000 tonnes of waste in Tunisia each year.

The regulation prohibits major supermarket chains, such as Car­refour, Aziza, and Monoprix, distributing non-biodegradable plastic bags. The action does not affect smaller shops and street food markets or the fruit and vegetable sections of retail stores.

The ban was implemented after the Ministry of the Environment and Local Affairs reached an agree­ment with Tunisia’s major shop­ping centres. 

Plastic-Free Djerba

On Friday, May 20, 2022, the governor of Medenine, Ben Zayed, explained on Mosaique FM that single-use plastic items are harmful to the environment and major source of pollution.

The official stated that the regulation prohibiting single-use plastics has been in effect since 2019, but only applies to large supermarkets.

The ban will be implemented gradually by the municipality. Customers who require a multi-purpose bag will no longer receive bags from retailers. There are a variety of options, particularly in the south of the country, where artisans manufacture high-quality, eco-friendly baskets and fabric bags. In partnership with civic society, an environmental protection awareness campaign will be conducted.

“Djerba without single-use plastic items” is a pilot program that will eventually be implemented in all regions of Tunisia. In addition to preserving the environment and people’s health, the success of this program will positively impact the country’s economy.


Suggested Reads:

  • 10 Most Exciting ‘Live Like a Local’ Experiences & Things To Do in Djerba
  • The Island of Djerba — The Land of Peace, Openness & Tolerance
  • Djerbahood: 20 Incredible Works of Art on the Streets of Djerba
  • Tunisian-Jewish Gastronomy Contributes to the Charm of Djerba

If you would like to comment on this article or anything else you have seen on Carthage Magazine, leave a comment below or head over to our Facebook page.

And if you liked this article, sign up for the monthly features newsletter. A handpicked selection of stories from Carthage Magazine, delivered to your inbox.


Support Carthage Magazine
0 comment
3
FacebookTwitterEmail
Contributing Editor

Contributing Editor account at Carthage Magazine. Tunisia's premier English general-interest Magazine with thousands of page-views per month and over 200,000 social media followers.

previous post
Ons Jabeur Becomes the Highest Ranked African & Arab Tennis Player Ever
next post
Tales from the Past | Part III

Related Articles

April 9th, Tunisian Martyrs’ Day 🇹🇳

April 2, 2025

Tunisia Central Bank Cuts Key Rate by 50...

March 26, 2025

Why Cold Really Does Feel Colder in Tunisia

March 19, 2025

Tunisia’s Inflation Drops to 6% in January

February 7, 2025

Tunicheque.tn: Revolutionizing Cheque Transactions in Tunisia

February 3, 2025

Tunisia Ranks as Africa’s 3rd Most Visited Country...

February 3, 2025

Olive Oil: Tunisia’s Gift to the World

January 21, 2025

Tunisia’s Push for Renewable Energy: Progress and Challenges

January 13, 2025

Tunisia Among National Geographic’s 25 Best Places to...

December 28, 2024

Djerba Island Listed Among World’s Top Destinations for...

December 27, 2024

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Flavors of Tunisia

Taste-Tunisia-Tunisian-Cuisine-3

Want more top stories?

Carthage Magazine Newsletter

Sign up today and you’ll get our latest stories delivered straight to your inbox.

Just For You

  • 1

    Alcohol in Tunisia: What Visitors Need to Know

    August 2, 2021
  • 2

    El Jem Amphitheatre — The Greatest Roman Colosseum in North Africa

    January 19, 2024
  • 3

    Fruits From Tunisia: 15 Tunisian Fruits to Eat When Traveling

    August 20, 2023
  • 4

    The Great Mosque of Ez-Zitouna — Tunis’ Oldest & Most Significant Mosque

    June 2, 2023
  • 5

    The Great Mosque of Kairouan — Islam’s Fourth Most Holiest Site

    April 26, 2021

Latest

  • Tunisia Celebrates International Labor Day on May 1st

  • Former Tunisia President Fouad Mebazaa Dies at 91

  • April 9th, Tunisian Martyrs’ Day 🇹🇳

  • Tunisian Mloukhiya, Your Grandma’s Favorite Dish (& Likely Yours, Too!)

Sections

  • Editors' Picks
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Food & Drinks
  • Local History
  • News
  • No Sugarcoating
  • People
  • Quizzes
  • Style & Travel
  • Tech & Startups
  • Things to Do
  • Videos

E᙭ᑭᒪOᖇE

Carthage Magazine

We’re on a mission to create content that inspires people about experiences, places, products and people in Tunisia!

 

— About Us

— Adverstising

— Transparency

— Contact Us

Facebook Twitter Instagram Linkedin Youtube

ᗯᗩᑎT ᗰOᖇE TOᑭ ᔕTOᖇIEᔕ?

Carthage Magazine Newsletter

Sign up today and you’ll get our latest stories delivered straight to your inbox.

ᔕᑭᖇEᗩᗪ TᕼE ᗯOᖇᗪ

Spread the word

Our goal is to get these stories out in the public arena, and by doing this, keep promoting Tunisia and changing attitudes towards the MENA region.

 

— Ambassadors

— Readers Write

— What You Can Do to Help

EᗪITOᖇᔕ’ ᑭIᑕKᔕ

  • Tunisian Mloukhiya, Your Grandma’s Favorite Dish (& Likely Yours, Too!)

    April 2, 2025
  • Tunisia’s Favorite Pastry: Kaak Warka — A Taste of Heaven

    March 26, 2025
  • The Best Authentic Tunisian Rice Dish — “Rouz Jerbi”

    March 26, 2025

© 2019 - 2025 Carthage Magazine. Privacy Policy

Carthage Magazine
  • Home
  • News
  • Food & Drinks
    • Taste Tunisia
  • People
    • Interviews
    • No Sugarcoating
    • Environment
  • Style & Travel
    • Attractions
    • Trip Planning
      • Travel Information
      • Hotels in Tunisia
      • Cost of Living
      • Tunisia’s Language
      • Tunisia’s Weather
      • Tunisia’s Currency
      • Tunisia’s Visa
    • Transport in Tunisia
      • Traveling Around
      • Local Transport
      • Flights to Tunisia
      • Ferries to Tunisia
      • Tunisia Overland
    • Things to Do
      • Leisure
  • Local History
    • Museums
    • Monuments
    • Heritage Sites
    • Historical Figures
  • Education
  • Tech & Startups
  • Editors’ Picks
Carthage Magazine
  • Home
  • News
  • Food & Drinks
    • Taste Tunisia
  • People
    • Interviews
    • No Sugarcoating
    • Environment
  • Style & Travel
    • Attractions
    • Trip Planning
      • Travel Information
      • Hotels in Tunisia
      • Cost of Living
      • Tunisia’s Language
      • Tunisia’s Weather
      • Tunisia’s Currency
      • Tunisia’s Visa
    • Transport in Tunisia
      • Traveling Around
      • Local Transport
      • Flights to Tunisia
      • Ferries to Tunisia
      • Tunisia Overland
    • Things to Do
      • Leisure
  • Local History
    • Museums
    • Monuments
    • Heritage Sites
    • Historical Figures
  • Education
  • Tech & Startups
  • Editors’ Picks
© 2019 - 2025 Carthage Magazine. Privacy Policy

Read alsox

IMF Reaches Staff-Level Agreement with Tunisia for...

October 16, 2022

SpaceX Requests Authorization to Operate Starlink in...

January 16, 2023

Tunisia Seeks to Attract More Tourists, $4.5bln...

May 1, 2023