Kenya steps up efforts to stamp out 'plastic menace'Plastic bags... A manace in more ways than one: That much should be clear.
They suffocate the environment, endanger wildlife and take forever to decompose in the already cramped landfill. In Africa the situation is even worse, where they cause livestock deaths, blocked sewers and harbour deadly bugs and viruses.
Now Kenya's National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) is looking at going some way to solving the problem - and the UK and others could take a leaf out of their book, if it works out for Kenya.
As part of their plans, plastic bags less than 30 microns thick could be phased to improve waste management in the capital Nairobi. Drop-off points for bags are being set up in the city to increase plastic recycling, in a further attempt to contain the menace caused by the polythene.
In Kenya an estimated 24 million plastic bags are given out monthly by supermarkets and other shops. Across Europe that figure is substantially higher.
Experience in countries ranging from Tanzania to the Netherlands and Ireland suggests that a plastic bag tax would reduce the consumption and production of plastic bags considerably. This can be as simple as shoppers being charged for each bag they opt to use. And that is the point... we have the choice.
For a starter, stop and think before using yet another plastic bag when shopping.
Supermarkets toss free plastic bags at us and we inevitably use them instead of the 'bag for life' style alternative - or even take our own bags. Think first...
Source: www.edie.net
