Official wants plan to ban plastic bags implemented quickly

BAN on importing, manufacturing and using plastic shopping bags should be made compulsory by law to prevent people disposing of them carelessly, an official says.
Dr Solomon Yowait, a member of the National Environment Council, the body that deals with environmental issues in the country, said the government’s plan to have a total ban was the way forward and should be implemented without delay.
“I worked with the environment council since 2011 and the experiences from my knowledge and observation appear to suggest that plastics have had and continue to have a devastating effect on the environment and ecosystems in varied ways from water pollution, pollution in drains, beaches, seas and marine creatures among,” he said.
“Plastics have been and continue to be the main culprit to the degradation of the environment and it must be banned forthwith as soon as possible.”
Yowait said awareness arrangements undertaken by the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (Cepa) in the recent past using mainstream media and other means were adequate.
“The problem is whether or not the common people and plastic and plastic bottle users in commerce and industry and household have received the message,” he said.
“Do people know the consequences plastic wastes have on the environment and ecosystems on which all life depends?
“Policy and legal aspects of the ban have to be properly understood and implemented.”
Yowait said alternative sources or means of carrying store goods were available and PNG was not short of natural resources to make alternative bags and packages for such use.
“Measures to effectively implement the ban should include compliance rules and regulations along with this law.
“Certain units must be established with the government agencies to assess, inspect, monitor and report on the effectiveness of the regulations.
“If commercial and industrial sectors are non-compliant, deal with them according to the set rules and regulations, and deal with their licences and impose severe penalties.
“The ban must be made compulsory by law and ordinary people found to be carelessly disposing plastic bags be dealt with as part of this law and get the local level governments, town authorities and wards to adopt the laws and implement the regulations and collect fees and fines as part of their revenue collection.”