Egyptian official says province to ban single use plastics

CAIRO – An Egyptian official says his Red Sea province will impose a ban on disposable plastics, prohibiting everything from single use straws to plastic bags in an effort to fight pollution.

Ahmed Abdallah, governor of Hurghada province, said late on Monday the ban will go into effect from June.

He says it was proposed by the Hurghada Environmental Protection & Conservation Association to protect province's "threatened and endangered species."

The ban will apply to restaurants, supermarkets, grocery stores and pharmacies. Plastic forks and knives, cups and dishes will be among banned items.

The Red Sea resort of Hurghada, the province's capital, is a major tourist destination.

In 2017, Egypt launched an EU-funded initiative to encourage people to limit their use of plastic bags. The country produces 970,000 tons of plastic waste.