A ban on plastic bags came into force Monday in Kenya and those found in
violation of the ban could be given a maximum fine of $38,000 or serve a
four-year jail term.
The ban applies to the use, manufacture, and importation of plastics and
gives a minimum fine of about $19,000 or a years' imprisonment,
according to the Kenyan government. Exemptions were made for those
producing plastic bags used for industrial purposes.
Thin plastic shopping bags litter the streets of Kenya's capital, Nairobi. They have created towering piles at dump sites.
Cameroon, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Mauritania and Malawi are among African countries that have adopted or announced such bans.
Some 100 million plastic bags are handed out every year in Kenya by
supermarkets alone, according to the U.N. Environmental Program.
The Kenyan government says the bags harm the environment, block sewers and don't decompose.
Manufacturers have said the ban will cost jobs, but Environment Minister
Judi Wakhungu last week said more jobs will be created from making bags
from environment friendly materials.
UNEP said the bags have long been identified as a major cause of
environmental damage and health problems, killing birds, fish and other
animals that mistake them for food. They also damage agricultural land,
pollute tourist sites and provide breeding grounds for the mosquitoes
that carry malaria and dengue fever.
Plastic bags contribute to the 8 million tons of plastic that leak into
the ocean every year. At current rates, by 2050 there will be more
plastic in the oceans than fish, according to UNEP.
This version corrects the minimum punishment a fine of $19,000 or a year's imprisonment.
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