TEHRAN — Merely 9 percent of the whole plastic waste produced in Iran is being recycled annually, the director for environment and sustainable development department of Tehran’s Municipality has said.

Iran is one the top 10 disposable dish users worldwide, Mohammad-Mehdi Golmakani regretted.

Based on global reports, some 3.5 million tons of trash is being produced daily in the world and Iran’s share is some 40,000 tons which constitutes to 1.15 percent of the whole world trash production, Golmakani explained, Mehr news agency reported on Monday.

The amount of plastic produced in Iran totals some 177,000 tons per annum, he said, in other words some 500 tons of plastic waste is being yield every day.

Based on the figures each Iranian family uses three plastic bags on average per day, he noted, adding, if each family use one less plastic bag every week that would result in some one billion less plastic bags a year.

“If that comes true we have prevented the production of 7,000 tons of plastic waste yearly,” he pointed.

Golmakani went on to say that “as simple and easy as it sounds the outcome would make a great difference.”

Plastic waste may take up to 1,000 years to decompose, Golmakani warned, and as they are light they can be easily moved by the wind and spread pollution over the land and can cause great loss to the environment.

MQ/MG