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Plastic Bag Free!

HEPCA is pleased to announce the success of the campaign to make the Red Sea the first plastic bag free governorate in Egypt. Following the decree issued earlier this year by HE General Magdi Kubeissi, Governor of the Red Sea, the ban on plastic bags has been overwhelmingly supported by businesses and individuals throughout the region. This is a great accomplishment of which we can all be proud. Paper bags are currently being supplied by the large majority of retailers including supermarkets, restaurants and other businesses. Paper has a significantly lower impact on the environment than plastic but we need to minimise the use of ALL bags. By far the most environmentally friendly solution is for bag users to REUSE existing bags, and switch to cloth bags where possible. So far HEPCA has distributed 50,000 cloth bags for free in the Red Sea area to support the decree. HEPCA would like to thank everyone who has contributed in support of this campaign. Special thanks are due to HE the Governor and all our partners and sponsors including Egyptian Resorts Company (Developer of Sahl Hasheesh) and Barclays Bank. In addition, HEPCA would like to thank those working in the vocational training centres in Hurghada, Safaga and Ras Gharib, where many additional job opportunities were created for women manufacturing the cloth bags for this campaign. Please continue to support this campaign and add pressure to those who do not comply with the ban. Each and every one of us has a responsibility to help keep the Red Sea plastic bag free.