Kenya bans plastic bags, may fine violators $38,000 and 4 year jail term - Sensationalist Headlines

[QUOTE]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. 00:0000:00 Some 100 million plastic bags are handed out every year in Kenya by supermarkets alone, according to the UN Environmental Program. The Kenyan government says the bags harm the environment, block sewers and do not 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. [/QUOTE] [url]http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/08/kenya-bans-plastic-bags-fine-violators-38000-170828072520514.html[/url]

[t]http://www.tropical-rainforest-animals.com/image-files/pollutionkenya.jpg[/t] Ok, I can really understand this Also, "could be given" is not "will be given" as a note

-nvm, for a country with a trash problem that bad I totally understand-

[QUOTE=Megadave;52621795]I get it, and it shouldn't be a problem, but it does seem outlandish fining someone that large if they have a plastic bag in their possession. But hey, fine and arrest the shit out the people that make the things and throw em everywhere, they are doing nothing but adding to the problem.[/QUOTE] Yeah, its such a huge issue that its honestly understandable at that point if it works for them I hope they at least keep the law or lower it just enough to not be too horrible when / if the issue is fixed

Good idea. You can just use a reusable bag thats not only bigger but also way more resistant than plastic bags, and even paper bags. You just can't complain about it really. And plastic bags infuriate me for some reason. We used to have tons of them here in my house. We still got them but we save them for other stuff and reuse them aswell.

I know banning them is the right thing to do worldwide for the sake of the environment but I could not give up disposable plastic bags if my life depended on it. They're so damn convenient to have around for pretty much anything, liquids in particular, and just throw away once they're dirty, broken or no longer useful. There needs to be some kind of substitute made from biodegradable matter.

Holy crap :wow:

Glad they're taking action on it.

[QUOTE=Im Crimson;52622172]I know banning them is the right thing to do worldwide for the sake of the environment but I could not give up disposable plastic bags if my life depended on it. They're so damn convenient to have around for pretty much anything, liquids in particular, and just throw away once they're dirty, broken or no longer useful. There needs to be some kind of substitute made from biodegradable matter.[/QUOTE] [url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioplastic[/url]

[QUOTE=bananaslamma;52622542][url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioplastic[/url][/QUOTE] Doesn't that only really work through industrial scale Composting, because if I recall I still have a bottle made of bioplastic still sitting in my compost bin.

hang on a minute though... good for recycling and all that but charging people for posession is fucking ridiculous. that's not positive at all. what if people are poor and have no receptacle?

[QUOTE=AK'z;52622693]hang on a minute though... good for recycling and all that but charging people for posession is fucking ridiculous. that's not positive at all. what if people are poor and have no receptacle?[/QUOTE] I've lived in Kenya. They don't really think that far into it. They probably figure that its worth the trek to a receptacle if you don't have one close

That feel when a 3rd world country has better ecologic laws than you.

Cool. People's lazy convenience should stop getting priority over the trashing of nature.

The idea is good but holy shit minimum fine of $19K or a year of jail minimum? Not sure how i feel about that.

[QUOTE=Str4fe;52622940]The idea is good but holy shit minimum fine of $19K or a year of jail minimum? Not sure how i feel about that.[/QUOTE] Willing to consider that ridiculous in the US or some European country. But considering the amount of extremity of garbage and pollution in countries like Kenya or India, real consequences is the only thing to snap these people out of leaving garbage everywhere like this.

[QUOTE=Str4fe;52622940]The idea is good but holy shit minimum fine of $19K or a year of jail minimum? Not sure how i feel about that.[/QUOTE] Chances are it won't be against an individual or some street hawker, but against a larger private entity that should no better.