Kenya has passed world’s toughest law aimed at reducing plastic pollution came into effect so far. It has introduced a punishment of up to four years and fines of $40,000 from Monday for selling or even using plastic bags.
This is The East African nation has joined over 40 other countries that have banned, partly banned or taxed single use plastic bags, including China, France, Rwanda, and Italy.
Plastic bags can be seen drifting into the ocean affecting creatures, strangling turtles, suffocating seabirds and filling the stomachs of dolphins. “If we continue like this, by 2050, we will have more plastic in the ocean than fish,” said Habib El-Habr, an expert on marine litter working with the UN Environment Programme in Kenya.
Kenya’s law let police to target anyone even carrying a plastic bag. But Judy Wakhungu, Kenya’s environment minister, said enforcement would initially be directed at manufacturers and suppliers level. “Ordinary wananchi will not be harmed,” she told Reuters. It took Kenya three attempts over ten years to finally pass the ban.
