23 June 2010
Amman
More than 2,000 environmentally friendly bags were distributed to shoppers in Amman, Irbid and Zarka as part of a UN campaign for World Environment Day. UNRWA joined UN agencies across Jordan at the launch on 3 June. The campaign, which is supported by Jordanian celebrities including singer Zain Awad, seeks to curb use of plastic bags in the country.
A UN statement said: “If one out of five Jordanians stopped using plastic bags completely, together they would save more than 43 billion plastic bags throughout their life.”
Fourth graders wearing t-shirts marked with “UN Go Green” from Baccalaureate School in Amman joined the Minister of Environment, Hazem Malhas; the Director of UNESCO Anna Paolina and the Jordanian singer Zain Awad, to distribute fabric shopping bags to the shoppers in Safeway Seventh Circle.
One of the schoolgirls told customers to: “Say no to plastic bags. They are not good. They harm the environment.”
Taxable plastic bags
Addressing the audience and the children, Hazem Malhas said: “Anybody who wants to use plastic bags should pay for them. They should not be given for free.
“Protecting the environment is a shared responsibility. We all have a role to play.”
A song for environment
Zain Awad sang a song, which got the children chanting with her: “protect your environment because you live in it”.
Zain told the children: “I feel it is a new song. I loved it more when you sang it with me.” She continued: “I’m so proud to participate in this event. It is our duty towards our country. It is the least we can do”.
In Zarka city, UN officials and the Jordanian actress Amal Dabbas distributed the fabric bags to shoppers at the Civil Consumer Association, while in Irbid city, the bags were distributed in C-Town.
Anwar Abu Sakieneh
InterTech 
