ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A directive from the Kurdistan Region’s health ministry banning plastic bags in restaurants and bakeries has been met with skepticism from business owners, who cite high costs and impractical designs that led to the failure of a previous similar initiative. Jamshir Mushir, a representative of Erbil’s bakers' association, said they have not yet been informed of the directive, but they do not like it. “We do not support it in any way because it is a loss for us,” he told Rudaw. Health Minister Saman Barzinji in July issued an order to the provincial health directorates reiterating previous directives from May 2018 and September 2023 that prohibited the use of plastic bags in favor of paper bags Three weeks have passed but instructions have yet to reach business owners. Previous efforts to ban plastic bags have failed. “[A]fter we would give people [paper] bags, they would ask for [plastic] bags,” bakery owner Osman Mohammed told Rudaw, noting that customers tend to double-bag naan, which increases costs. Paper bags cost business owners seven times more, about 87.5 dinars per bag compared to 12.5 dinars per plastic bag. Bakery owners also criticized the available paper bags as unsuitable for the size and shape of naan, particularly when customers buy several dozen. The lack of handles further adds to their inconvenience. Restaurant owners, who have a higher profit margin compared to bakeries, have found the transition to paper bags more manageable. “The food does not get ruined… and it is healthy,” said Shvan Osman, a restaurant owner who prefers paper bags for their ability to prevent moisture accumulation, particularly for delivery orders. “Scientifically, plastic bags are harmful to human health and can become a cause of cancer,” health ministry spokesperson Sarkar Surchy said in July. Zhino Khalid, an environmental pollution expert, warned on Wednesday that plastic products remain in nature for thousands of years, spreading microplastics into the soil, damaging biodiversity, lowering the quality of agricultural produce, and eventually entering human bodies. Single use plastic bags and bottles litter Kurdistan Region’s environment. Nzar Jaza contributed to this report.
