United Nations in Jordan - Media Coverage

Media Coverage

Media participation at the UN celebrations of Environment Day - 3rd June 2010

World Environment Day 2010 was aimed to be a widely celebrated, global day for positive, environmental action. This is exactly what the UN in Jordan has organized. This year thousand of people from 3 cities in different regions of Jordan, followed radio and TV debates and participated to the distribution of free fabric bags to create awareness on the environmental consequences of the use of plastic bags.

The message of this year was:

‘plastic bags constitute a serious and highly visible environmental problem for Jordan, where the increasingly urbanized population of more than 6 million people is contributing to the negative environmental impact of plastic bags and hereby also reducing the possibility of Jordan achieving Millennium Development Goal 7 on environmental sustainability”

Plastic bags represent a threat for the environment. In fact plastic bags are made out of polyethylene, which is made from petrol, and takes 1000 years to decompose. Plastic bags also harm animals, since many die from eating littered bags. In is calculated that in average every Jordanian uses 500 plastic bags per year. In Jordan factors such as the low environmental consciousness and the absence of regulations on the disposal of plastic bags, might be considered key reasons for the current pattern. The situation has to change to reduce the threat to the environment.

To promote awareness and discussions on the matter, the United Nations in Jordan and the Ministry of Environment have organized the distribution of reusable fabric bags in 3 cities, Amman, Zarqa, and Irbid, and 2 debates on national radio and TV stations.

Environment Day media coverage:

Jordan Times: Excessive use of plastic bags warrants action

Jordan Times: Young Jordanians highlight dangers of plastic bags

AL Ghad newspaper: Malhas launches a campaign to reduce plastic bag use

Al Arab Al Yawm: The launch of a campaign for environment-friendly bags on the occasion of World Environment Day

Assabeel.com: The United Nations distributes paper and canvas bags to educate citizens about the danger of continuous plastic use

AL Rai: Malhas: paying for a plastic bag or using a Companion of the environment?

Moheet.com: Statistic: three billion plastic bags used annually by Jordanians

Save Earth: The UN warns of "a real environmental danger" facing Jordan

Al Rai: UN warns of "a real environmental danger" facing Jordan

Sahafi.jo: Malhas: paying for a plastic bag or using a Companion of the environment?

Addustour Newspaper: Distribution of environment-friendly cloth bags to use instead of plastic