In April 2009 the governor of the Red Sea will enforce a plastic bag ban within Hurghada. After this date, local shops and supermarkets will not be able to supply free plastic shopping carrier bags to its customers.
Instead, customers will be given the opportunity to purchase a re-usable bag. The Egyptian Resorts Company has generously provided HEPCA with 20.000 cloth bags to be distributed in the Hurghada down town area as an alternative.
The ban, which has received the full support of the council and many large business operators, will replicate successful models used in many towns throughout Europe and HEPCA's role will be to manage the public awareness campaign to support the ban.
The Red Sea Governor has granted a two month grace period to allow businesses to deal with the transition. After this period there will be severe penalties for anyone still handing out free plastic bags.
The 'One Bag at a Time' campaign will be visible throughout shops and supermarkets over the coming months and will provide education and information for all Hurghada residents. This ban is a huge achievement for both HEPCA and the Red Sea Governerate and it is hoped that it will lead to a larger aim of cleaning up Hurghada.