Egypt Introduces Fees on Producers to Reduce Single-Use Plastic Bags

The Egyptian government issued a decision to classify plastic shopping bags as products subject to the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy, making manufacturers responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, from production to post-consumer waste. 

The decision, to be implemented under the Waste Management Law (Law No. 202 of 2020), would require producers to pay fees to government entities in exchange for the safe disposal of waste generated from these bags. A fee of 37.5 Egyptian pounds per kilogram of bags sold in the local market will be imposed starting June 3rd, 2025.

“The decision was long overdue, and very necessary to activate Article 17 of the Waste Management Law. It is the first EPR to be applied in Egypt on producers in a manner that taxes the consumption of single-use plastic,” Public Health Engineer and Director of Greenish Egypt Mohamed Kamal told Egyptian Streets. 

“Now there is a platform that will consolidate the big consumers of single-use plastic bags, and the government will start to collect money that will be used and reinvested through the Waste Management Regulatory Authority Fund”, Kamal explained. 

“It is also positive for civil society, because now it provides a space for further advocacy, to push for further ambition from the government,” Kamal said.

Getting the decision through faced a lot of pushback from the industrial lobby and different industrial stakeholders associated with the process, he stated.

The step was taken in response to efforts from the Ministry of Environment.

“Egypt’s decision to limit the use of single-use plastic bags is a significant and commendable step in the right direction and rightfully places the responsibility on producers for the full lifecycle of their products, from production to disposal. Meanwhile, government agencies would be committed to safely disposing of the plastic waste, ensuring accountability and waste reduction,” said Greenpeace Middle East and North Africa’s Executive Director Ghiwa Nakat in a statement.