Editorial – A Plastic Story

We thought we had driven it away for good, yet it came galloping back, openly defying the ban. It is the «mika» plastic bag—the very one Morocco had set out to eradicate.
Amid the enthusiasm surrounding COP22, the Zero Mika campaign was meant to symbolize a country firmly committed to the ecological transition. The objective was not merely to ban plastic bags, but to change consumer habits and turn the page on a long-standing practice.
At first, it had all the hallmarks of a success story. Large-scale inspections, public awareness campaigns, support for manufacturers, penalties, the closure of illegal workshops… One year after its launch, the official figures were impressive and the political determination unmistakable. Everything seemed to be on track, and Morocco appeared fully committed to achieving its goal.
Then the momentum faded.
A decade later, the mika is still there—very much alive. It has simply changed color and found new distribution channels. Driven out of supermarkets, it now flourishes in traditional markets, neighborhood shops and clandestine workshops (see also our inside pages).
This illustrates the limitations of public policies conceived in haste and driven by headline announcements. A product is banned without changing consumer behavior, without providing affordable alternatives and without sustaining pressure on illegal supply chains.
The result is predictable: a black market takes shape, law-abiding manufacturers are penalized, and consumers continue doing what they have always done.
Ten years later, where is the evaluation? Where are the indicators demonstrating a lasting reduction in plastic pollution? Where is the strategy aimed at transforming behavior rather than simply pushing it underground?
The environment deserves better than a communication campaign.
Unfortunately, this plastic story ultimately shows that it is often easier to change the color of a bag than to change reality on the ground.

Meriem OUDGHIRI