On
June 1, 2019, Tanzania’s comprehensive “plastic bag ban” came into force.
Travelers to Tanzania will have to pack very carefully; the country announced the implementation of the second phase of its plastic bag ban on May 16. Visitors are advised to avoid packing or carrying any plastic bags as they’ll have to leave these at a designated desk in the airport.
In Kenya, the penalties for ignoring the ban are the world’s most punitive. Manufacturers, importers, distributors, and users found with plastic bags face up to $38,000 in fines or four years in prison.
Rwanda is aiming to be the world’s first plastic-free country, and its prohibitions appear to be working. The UN named the country’s capital, Kigali, the African continent’s cleanest city, thanks in part to a 2008 ban on non-biodegradable plastic.
A UN environmental study concluded that plastic bag bans are working and are especially effective in African nations where waste is often burned. Indeed, about 40% of the world’s waste is burned, which causes toxic pollution.
About Plastics Prohibitions
In 2002, Bangladesh became the first country in the world to ban thinner plastic bags, which choked the drainage system during devastating floods. Thereafter, South Africa, Rwanda, China, Australia, and Italy all followed suit. Now, around the world, a variety of bans have been instituted at various governmental levels, and the use of plastic straws, cutlery, bags, and more have all been called into question.
The European Union’s parliament has taken steps to ban plastics, including bags, straws, plates, cutlery, and cotton-swab sticks by 2021. In the US, New York became the second state after California to ban plastic bags. Hawaii also has a de facto prohibition on plastic bags because municipalities have all chosen to ban these locally.
Plastic bag bans are imperfect, but while critics question the effectiveness of these efforts, there is evidence such bans work to reduce both waste and pollution.
As African nations have shown, taking action can quickly lead to an improved environment.
