Mixed reactions on thin plastic ban
There are mixed reactions from retail shop owners and shoppers on the ban of thin plastics that took effect on July 1.
The ban has forced shop owners to start providing the required plastic bags to customers, though at a price, a development which some shoppers have described as unfair.
Most shoppers The Nation spoke to expressed anger that their shopping budgets will be bloated when they purchase a lot of goods.
When The Nation visited Sana Cash n Carry Mega Store in Lilongwe, managing director of Sana Cash ‘n’ Carry, Ahmed Chaudhry, was in the middle of handling a complaint where a customer who had purchased a trolley full of items found it not viable to pay for plastic carrier bags for her items.
According to the customer who asked for anonymity, it did not make sense to charge her for bags to carry items she has already paid for in the shop, saying, “How many K70 bags do you think I am going to need to carry all those items and how much do you think that is going to require?”
A snap survey in Blantyre found that major retail stores such as Game Stores and Shoprite have started adhering to the ban by providing customers with the approved plastics, though at a price.
Government, through the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining, said it will start reinforcing the ban on production, importation, and distribution and use of thin plastics (less than 60 micron meters) on June 30.
The ban, scheduled for August 18 2014, was delayed to allow manufacturers, distributors, and retail shops to clear existing stocks of old plastics and allow them to change production technology in line with prescribed thickness.
The government could probably have done a better job at educating the public about the necessity of a plastics ban prior to its implementation. With that said, however, consumers must also assume a personal responsibility for creating a healthier, cleaner, and more environmentally sustainable Malawi. Lilongwe, which was once referred to as the ‘Garden City,’ has now turned into ‘Garbage City’ with the roadsides, ditches, and waterways lined with discarded plastic bags. It is incredibly disheartening to drive behind a public bus these days and watch commuters throwing plastic bags, Styrofoam containers, and other waste items from the windows without a second thought. Drive through a trading centre, such as Likuni or Chitedze market, and it appears that the dirt roads have literally been paved with plastic bags. There are many solutions for consumers to use in place of buying and using plastic bags: carry reusable cloth bags, woven baskets, re-purposed maize bags, cardboard cartons, etc. Instead of seeing ‘problems’, consumers should be celebrating the fact that the Malawi government has made a definitive step towards the implementation of sustainable solutions.