The 'Zero Waste' Challenge and Heavy Fines for Littering During Nowruz

The commander of Iran's Environmental Protection Unit announced the strict enforcement of a 30,000 Toman fine for littering during the Nowruz holiday. Jamshid Mohabbatkhani stated that the punishment for littering is intensified because 'the greatest environmental damage during Nowruz comes from waste and garbage.' According to Mr. Mohabbatkhani, vehicles that throw their trash out of the window in cities or on roads will be fined. He added that in coordination with the traffic police, this law's enforcement will be 'intensified,' and all traffic police have been instructed to 'more seriously confront those who wish to throw their trash outside' compared to last year. The commander also emphasized that environmental forces in the provinces should 'be present in areas with high concentrations of travelers and raise awareness about the dangers of waste to nature through brochures or other means.' Another report indicates that a challenge called 'Zero Waste' has been launched in Iran, in which Tayebe Siawoshi, a member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, has also participated. Ms. Siawoshi has invited four other members of parliament, Ali Mohammad Shaeri, Hamideh Zarabadi, Kazem Delkhush, and Fatemeh Hosseini, to join this challenge. This challenge, initiated by Kaveh Madani, deputy of Iran's Environmental Organization, encourages citizens to avoid using plastic containers such as bottled water. This challenge coincides with the New Year and Nowruz travel, as well as increased public presence in nature. Hamideh Zarabadi, a member of parliament, stated that while the 13th of Farvardin is designated as Nature Day, it seems we are 'fighting against nature with all our might' on this day. Yesterday, Iran's Statistical Center reported that urban households produce an average of 175,548 tons of waste weekly. The per capita waste produced by each urban household is 9.7 kilograms per week. The report also states that 5.4 million urban households, on average, use at least one type of disposable plastic item each month. On average, 14.5 million forks, spoons, and knives, 45.9 million cups, 18.9 million plates, bowls, or trays, and 32.5 million meters of disposable plastic tablecloths are used each month. Iran is one of the high-consuming countries in terms of disposable containers and plastic bags. In recent years, several environmental activists have attempted to encourage citizens to use non-plastic bags through various initiatives.