High Court of Kenya: Rejecting a plea from manufacturers that the production of plastic bags creates jobs, Kenya’s High Court on Monday paved the way for the world’s strongest ban on plastic bags to come into full effect. The High Court declined to suspend the ban on plastic bags saying the need to conserve the environment overrides commercial interests.
The law, representing Kenya’s third attempt at a ban in the past decade, comes with harsh penalties. For now, they are aimed mostly at manufacturers and suppliers, but police are allowed to go after people who are simply carrying them. The highest penalties could include four years in prison and up to $40,000 in fines. The East African nation joins more than 40 other countries that have banned, partly banned or taxed single use plastic bags, including China, France, Rwanda, and Italy.
Source: Reuters
