Three months given to use remaining plastic bags

THE Government is giving manufacturers and retailers three months to use up all plastic shopping bags in their stock.
Minister for Environment, Conservation and Climate Change Geoffrey Kama in a paid advertisement said permits for the import of biodegradable plastic shopping bags expired last Friday.
“After Jan 31, 2020, there will be no more import of plastic shopping bags,” Kama said.
“Any individual or entities found importing or retailing single-use plastic shopping bags after the date will be in breach of the Environment Act 2020. A period of three months is also given for stocks in shops to be used up.”
Manufacturers Council chief executive officer Chey Scovell warned last week that the proposed ban would “create mass confusion, adhoc compliance and frustration among consumers and businesses”.
He accused the Government of “badly handling waste management, particularly the use of single-use plastic bags over the years”.
The Government had banned in 2014 the import and manufacture of non-biodegradable plastic shopping bags.
Scovell said “things had not moved along as expected”.
The Government then imposed a levy on the manufacture and import of plastic bags to discourage its use.
“It is important that industry (manufacturers and retailers) have cooperated with the Government and supported regulatory changes to manage public waste,” Scovell said.
“The Manufacturers Council and indeed a number of chambers of commerce and the business council have all tried multiple times over the past 18 months to meet with Cepa and its officers to understand the ban and how it shall be implemented.”