It was in the Hemicycle, under the dim but piercing lights of the Moroccan Parliament, that the “Zero Mica” program, once presented as an environmental revolution, received a resounding hammer blow. The Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, made a rare admission in the political arena, “ this program, supposed to eradicate the use of plastic bags, failed to transform legislative motivations into tangible realities ».
Acknowledgment of failure
During an oral question session, Benali did not mince his words. Responding to “interrogations” from deputies of the National Rally of Independents (RNI), she recognized that the provisions of law 77-15, which banned plastic bags in 2016, have not been fully applied. And for good reason, the proportion of plastic waste in household waste is still stagnating at 12%, despite years of awareness-raising and legal supervision.
The covid-19 pandemic, according to the minister, has exacerbated dependence on plastic, with a significant increase in single-use products. This reality, associated with a glaring weakness in efforts to combat pollution, undermines the image of an ecological pioneer that Morocco had built for itself.
« We had the law, but we didn’t know how to implement it “, declared the minister with disarming sincerity, before emphasizing the obligation for Morocco to comply with a UN decision (14/5) of the Environment Assembly, encouraging global measures against the scourge of plastics.
However, all is not lost, according to Leila Benali who, in passing, unveiled a draft revision of law 28-00. The latter integrates innovative measures such as the expansion of producers and selective sorting of waste. If this reform is adopted, it could mark a significant turning point in waste management and environmental risk reduction.
But the minister also launched an explicit appeal to parliamentarians, urging them to support this reform during the next legislative phase. Between ambition and necessity, the project is now based on accumulated collaboration between institutions and private actors.
Medical waste: another battle
The parliamentary debate also highlighted another environmental challenge: medical waste, the management of which seems to be a gray area in the Moroccan regulatory ecosystem. While Leila Benali affirms that a strict framework governs this waste, the deputies expressed doubts.
Criticism focuses on the lack of precise standards for the classification of medical waste and its separation from household waste. Many hospitals continued to dump their toxic waste into public landfills, due to a lack of suitable infrastructure.
The MP from the social democratic constitutional group criticized the lack of suitable solutions, highlighting the risks for workers in the sector and for the environment. She called for awareness campaigns and tougher sanctions against offenders.
The “Zero Mica” program and the management of medical waste illustrate a broader problem: that of an ecological transition hampered by structural shortcomings and insufficient implementation of laws. If Morocco can boast of notable success in renewable energies, with a rate of 44% reached in 2024, environmental initiatives such as these demonstrate a striking contrast.
For Leila Benali, the future requires reinforced political will, increased international cooperation and empowerment of citizens. But, as always, the road is often strewn with “pitfalls”. Will Morocco be able to overcome these challenges and honor its environmental commitments? The answer lies in the country’s capacity to combine vision and action.
