Kenya has banned plastic bags. Manufacturing, selling or importing the ubiquitous item will cost you four years of jail as it is blamed for clogging oceans and killing marine life.
Even though the new rule on plastic bags was announced in March this year, but came into effect on Monday, August 28, and so from today even garbage bags will not be made available in supermarkets.
Those who are planning to visit Kenya must know they will need to leave the duty-free shopping bags at the airport.
Until now more than forth countries have put similar ban on plastic bags including France, Netherlands and China. Some of the nations have introduced taxes on such bags or have either limited or prohibited the use.
The neighboring Rwanda too had earlier called plastic bags as illegal. United Kingdom started charging 5 pence in 2015 at stores for using plastic bags. However, as of now no restrictions on the use of plastic bags are put in United States even though states like Hawaii and California have put ban on nonbiodegradable bags.
An estimation reveals Kenyan shoppers use about 100 million plastic bags annually and so the announcement of new rule has created worries among many in the capital city Nairobi. Fruit and vegetable sellers are questioning how to market their produce.
A report also reveals most of the residents in Kenyan cities use the plastic bags as “flying toilets,” which means holding human waste in it where there are no proper sewage system.
Earlier in 2007 and 2011 too the country tried banning the use of plastic bags.
