A particular photo has been circulating and receiving quite some attention among Egyptians on Facebook these past few days. Underscored by the hashtag #plastic_free_freska, the photo shows Egyptian freska seller Ahmad smiling broadly while holding the type of large transparent freska box North Coast-goers are undoubtedly familiar with. Yet the photo alone is of course not the full picture, as the accompanying caption and a little more research into the matter reveals. Rather, Ahmad is one of many other freska sellers who have enthusiastically agreed to join in an initiative to replace the plastic bags in which they sell their produce with a more environmentally friendly paper alternative. The idea behind this recent initiative, we are told by its creators Drumstick Designs, who made the paper bags with sponsorship from leading Egyptian solar technology company KarmSolar, is to make small but decisive steps towards swapping plastic for paper, by involving as many people as possible. What this means is that people are encouraged to pick up a batch of freska bags for free from various distribution points across Cairo – all listed on the organizer’s Facebook page, with more locations…
“Be Part of the Change”: Freska Campaign to Ban Plastic Reaches Egypt’s North Coast
July 25, 2019
