Anti plastic bag campaign reaches Nizwa in latest roadshow

Part of the ESO's current "Say No To Plastic Bags" campaign, the Nizwa leg of this educational roadshow drummed up some fantastic support from residents of Nizwa and visitors from the interior areas.

Experts were on hand to offer information and advice on the devastating effects the careless disposal of non-biodegradable plastic bags is having on the rural environment and indigenous wildlife around the Sultanate.

With exciting giveaways of recycled bags and campaign t-shirts, roadshow staff were keen to encourage shoppers in popular venues like Nizwa Souk and Khimjis Mart to switch to reusable cloth bags and minimise the use of plastic bags where possible. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the ESO, the campaign has prompted the major supermarket chains in Muscat to agree to distribute complimentary ESO jute bags at all points of sale. ESO hopes to roll this out in other cities across Oman in the near future.

H.H. Sayyida Tania bint Shabib Al Said of the ESO said:

"We were amazed at the response we received in Nizwa. Bearing in mind that many of the shoppers and visitors we spoke to had no prior knowledge of recycling or the effect plastic bags are having on the environment and continued to dispose of their plastic in bins, without a thought to reuse them or use cloth bags instead. I think we have changed the views of many shoppers which is our ultimate objective."

Targeting Oman's future decision makers is also a key objective in ESO's strategy of maximizing the effect of the campaign. As a result, a visit to the University of Nizwa was organised, with hundreds of students gathering to listen to a lecture from Dr Mehdi. As well as giving facts on the effects of plastic bags on the environment, Dr Mehdi discussed how the youth of Oman will be able to change the attitudes of their friends and families simply by choosing to 'go green' themselves.

"We want our youth to be fully informed about how they can make a change for the better," adds Dr. Brian Buckley, CEO of Oman LNG. "Only then can they make their own decision about whether to care for their environment and how far to take it. We hope they will want to educate their families and spread the word about how we can all make a difference."

The next stop of the road show will in Ibra.