The government is set to begin a crackdown on non-woven carrier bags.
The move is set to see importers, producers and consumers of the popular polypropylene bags sold in retail stores get arrested for ignoring this directive.
Speaking to journalists, Nema boss Prof Geoffrey Wahungu warned Kenyans against defying the directive or risk being arrested, prosecuted and jailed.
Prof Wahungu explained that the government had issued clearances of materials that are permitted in the country and non-woven bags was not among them.
The Nema boss later displayed the newly approved bags for use by Kenyans.
The newly approved bags are made of different materials such as sisal, cotton, reeds and certain types of hard plastic.
“These bags are made from recycled paper. We can plant wood for paper and use that if we need, there’s no problem,” Prof Wahungu told journalists.
Plastic bags have been a scourge in many places across the globe.
According to environmental experts, plastic bags take more than 100 years to decompose, thereby posing adverse effects to the environment including piling up in landfills, blocking drainages, polluting rivers and destroying marine life.
