City set to impose plastic ban

LAE City Authority (LCA) has put out a circular to inform businesses in the city to effect the plastic bag ban, says an official.
LCA health and community services director Jonathan Ipang said the authority was embarking on enforcing the ban in the city after a three-month notice by the national government.
“We are encouraging the use of locally made bags (bilums) to be used instead of plastic bags.
“That is why women are encouraged to weave bilums and sell them in shops for people to buy and use,” Ipang said.
He said the move was to make sure plastic bags did not cause an eyesore in public places.
Ipang said his office would advise manufacturers of plastic bags in the city to cease their operations.
“For waste management in the city, the biggest concern for the LCA and Lae Urban local level government (LULLG) is to utilise the current workforce for grass-cutting and maintaining the parks and gardens that we have now,” he said.
Ipang said LCA had engaged eight contractors for the garbage collection and sanitation work with the use of vehicles and equipment supplied by Lae MP John Rosso.