The campaign aims to raise awareness on the importance of reuse and rationalization of consumption of plastic bags.
“The campaign will cover all the Kingdoms' regions to raise awareness on the danger of using plastic bags, as statistics confirm that such bags need about 400 years to break down and raise the incidence rate of cancer,” said Majeda Abu-Ras, assistant professor at King Abdulaziz University and director of the Environment and Sustainable Development Forum.
She added, “We will distribute more than 1,000 warning billboards in Jeddah streets. The billboards call citizens to replace the plastic bags with bags made from other materials such as fabric.”
According to Abu-Ras, Jeddah schools are also involved in the campaign: The society will distribute more than 2,500 pamphlets to raise the students' awareness.
“The wide use of plastic handbags, especially during shopping, might lead to the killing of millions of seabirds plus thousands of other sea animals because of their chemical contents,” said Abu-Ras.
Some people throw plastic bags on the road or in gardens, which delay the growth of plants.
“One of the main reasons that block plants from growing is that plastic bags impede their access to sunlight and air. In addition, its presence on the grass and on tree branches attracts animals and insects and pollutes the environment,” said Abu-Ras.
