Greenpeace MENA warns Morocco on new plastic packaging plant

Greenpeace Middle East and North Africa is urging Morocco to weigh the health, environmental and community costs of a new plastic packaging facility in Sidi Bou Othmane. The group says the country should shift away from single-use plastics and back stronger global and domestic rules to curb pollution.

Why it matters: - Greenpeace MENA says any expansion of Morocco’s plastic packaging sector should be judged not just on jobs and investment, but on long-term harm to public health, the environment and local communities. - The group says Morocco should align industrial growth with its climate and renewable energy commitments instead of deepening dependence on single-use plastics.

What happened: - Greenpeace Middle East and North Africa reacted to the opening of a new industrial facility for Plastic-Pack Morocco in Sidi Bou Othmane on July 10, 2026. - Farah Al Hattab, Greenpeace MENA’s plastic campaign lead, called on Morocco to stop investing in polluting single-use plastics and to expand reuse and refill systems. - Al Hattab said Morocco should support a strong, legally binding global plastics treaty and adopt effective extended producer responsibility policies.

The details: - Greenpeace MENA said jobs, local industry growth and support for the national economy are important goals. - The group argued those goals must go hand in hand with environmental protection and public health. - Greenpeace MENA said investment should favor future-facing models, not plastics that end up in nature, on coastlines and in human bodies. - Estimated plastic waste reaching Morocco’s marine environment totals about 75,000 tonnes a year. - Most of that waste is said to reach the Atlantic Ocean because population density and industrial activity are concentrated around cities such as Casablanca and Kénitra. - Plastic pollution is estimated to cost Morocco’s blue economy about $26 million a year. - Those losses include reduced revenue, cleanup costs and environmental damage, with fishing, tourism and maritime transport among the affected sectors. - Greenpeace MENA said producer responsibility rules should make manufacturers accountable across the full life cycle of their products, from design and production to collection, reuse, recycling and safe disposal.

Between the lines: - The reaction reflects a broader clash between industrial expansion and efforts to cut plastic waste at the source. - Greenpeace MENA is framing the plant opening as a policy test for Morocco: whether economic development can move toward circular systems instead of more disposable packaging. - The group is also using Morocco’s climate and clean energy ambitions to push for a broader shift away from plastic-heavy growth.

What's next: - Greenpeace MENA is pressing the Moroccan government and industry to ensure any economic expansion matches plastic-pollution reduction goals. - The group wants stronger backing for a global plastics treaty and faster adoption of policies that prioritize reuse over single-use production. - The organization is also calling for producer responsibility rules that shift more of the cost and cleanup burden to manufacturers. - More information: Greenpeace MENA on social media