Uganda plastic bags ban

[Simon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-gpdHUJ_oA

Like many other countries around the world, plastic bags litter Uganda. They poison the soil, block drains and create an unsightly health hazard. So the government listened to the environmental concerns and banned the bags but the clean-up campaign's not going according to plan. As Al Jazeera's Africa correspondent Yvonne Ndege reports from the capital Kampala, many are flouting the law. Even the soil is thick with them, so are the drains. It's business as usual for Yvonne Massolo. She's supposed to be observing a government ban on selling plastic bags. But she's choosing to break the law. She's risking jail and a $20,000 fine. But it's her only means of survival.

Massolo says: "This is my business, this is where I get school fees, this is where I get food, looking after my mother, looking after my extended families.

"Some are in the village, they are looking at you. You are in Kampala. You give us this, you send us this, we are sick, send us money to go to the hospital. All that from this."

Here in the business district of Kampala, the trade in plastic bags known as Kuvera continues. Most of the vendors here are completely oblivious to the environmental impact of what they are selling. And that is why a ban has been imposed. Ugandans get through 700 tonnes of plastic bags each year. That accounts for 20% of household waste.

The environmental impact of plastic bags is plain to see. The are completely embedded into the soil. Some carrier bags have probably been in the ground for years. And it could take an incredible 2000 years for some them to degrade. Those who pushed for the ban are appalled that is it being so openly flouted. They think that even in the developing world, protecting the environment should be priority.

Beatrice Anywar, an evironmental campaigner, says: "All Ugandans need to unite and make sure the ban of buvera in Uganda is affected. Because it is for the benefit of this country. Short of that, there is nothing we can do about this. We shall have our drainage system blocked, we shall have our soil for agriculture destroyed, we shall have the environment degraded seriously and health hazard continuously."

But consumers say that there are no alternatives. Vendors want more time to get rid of their stock.

The government says the ban is staying in place. But many question its ability to enforce the new law.

[zippymaus]

The bag bans need to be universal. The U.S. is adding more, including the one that's coming up in San Francisco in late November/early December. Philly, Boston, Phoenix, and many other cities are considering them. But the bans need to be universal. There's no excuse for not taking your own bag. Many European nations have required this for years. I gave a friend one of my ChicoBags when she was heading back to Europe recently and she loved it and said that it came in handy because it was so small that she could pop it into her purse, it was lightweight, and it didn't take up space in her suitcase. If people can take a reusable bag while traveling, they can certainly use them at home. Nearly every market is selling reusable bags and there are tons in catalogs and on the internet. There is no excuse for non-use. Besides, the only thing worse than having a zillion plastic bags pile up at home is dumping them out into the environment.

[armadillo]

Couldn't agree more with you,and welcome to the forum!

I hate plastic bags,here in greece we can't find any eco bags easily.So we have no choice than using plastic ones.It's aweful when you think of it.

[only_green_no_gray]

Couldn't agree more with you,and welcome to the forum!

I hate plastic bags,here in greece we can't find any eco bags easily.So we have no choice than using plastic ones.It's aweful when you think of it.

Here, some time ago start appearing eco bags, and now almost all big markets have it.

Try to re-use your plastic bags

[armadillo]

I always reuse my plastic bags,but it's not good enough.I wish our supermarkets start to import eco bags.We are sooo behind from other countries

[Simon]

I always reuse my plastic bags,but it's not good enough.I wish our supermarkets start to import eco bags.We are sooo behind from other countries

Ask or demand from your local stores to stop selling plastic bags or start selling "eco" bags. You are the consumer and their customer.

You can always buy the bags online..

[armadillo]

I wish it were that simple Simon,but it's not.They don't care about just one or two persons that want eco bags.It would have an effect ono them if we were more than 50 or something.Otherwise they don't mind.

[only_green_no_gray]

I wish it were that simple Simon,but it's not.They don't care about just one or two persons that want eco bags.It would have an effect ono them if we were more than 50 or something.Otherwise they don't mind.

Yeah here is the same, if you go to a store that doesn't have eco bags and demand or ask for they stop selling plastic bags and start selling eco bags they would probably tell you "thank you for your suggestion and hope to see you again"

[Simon]

Yeah here is the same, if you go to a store that doesn't have eco bags and demand or ask for they stop selling plastic bags and start selling eco bags they would probably tell you "thank you for your suggestion and hope to see you again"

Then stop shopping there and tell them that you will tell everyone you know to stop spending their money in that store until they have taken action.