Will banning polythene bag solve the real problem?

Apr 27, 2015

The ban of the 30 micron polythene bags has been received with mixed reaction by various sections of the public.


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By Francis Mukunya

The ban of the 30 micron polythene bags has been received with mixed reaction by various sections of the public. We all appreciate the dark side of these items.

However, buvera (plural for kavera) are only a symptom of the real problem. The real problem is prevalent in three forms; undisciplined and indiscriminate solid waste disposal, the infant waste management systems and a society (public) that is environmentally unconscious.

Therefore, the ban may not have much impact. This is because other “culprit” products will still abound; these include; used condoms and their wrappers, expired dry battery cells, expired cell phone batteries, expired drugs, expired bulbs, used broken glasses, mineral water bottles and a host of pre-packaged buvera that are not affected by this ban. I advisedly make this observation having been involved in a related study 2005: Solid Waste Management in Kawempe Division: Issues, Challenges and Emerging Options.

Previously, some governments have banned polythene varying successes. To date, there are not many documented success stories. The Countries that seem to be on course include; Rwanda, China, Taiwan and Macedonia. In the United States only a few cities and counties have outlawed their use.

Most countries are still struggling with this challenge. India banned the production of these bags in 2002. Today enforcement remains a problem. In South Africa, though plastic bags were banned in 2004, they still remain in circulation. In the UK alternative reusable bags were reported to pose challenges of contamination. Here, customers were encouraged to use reusable bags instead of disposable plastic bags. However, in 2010 research published by the University of Arizona discovered that there was potential for such bags to be harmful to health if not cleaned regularly, with traces of E.coli and salmonella being discovered.

In our case, there is also the issue of controversy on which type of polythene bags are banned. While the law mentions polythene bags below 30 microns, the adverts imply all polythene bags and surveillance staff confiscates all polythene that they find regardless.

Also, discarding kavera would imply using alternatives. The immediate option is paper bags. But there is a group of environmentalist that advocates for a paperless society. This school of thought argues that; less paper use will results in less felling of trees and hence environment preservation. So which way should we go?

Paradoxically, without enough specialized garbage collection trucks, in affluent Kampala, domestic solid waste is collected in polythene bags which are more convenient for the collectors to pick and carry away in the collection trucks. That means if the recycling chain is broken by closure of the recycling factories, these polythene bags will accumulate at the landfill and became a menace.

Kavera ban may be a policy in the right direction; but it may not be the best strategy. Instead, we should think of a comprehensive strategy to address the solid waste disposal problem. This may involve; improving the solid waste management systems. Efforts should also be made to inculcate discipline in the general public through mindset change. This can be done through behavior change programmes in schools, institutions and communities. Radios can also play a crucial role in this direction; to inform and teach the public. Imposing a tax can also be an option. The collected tax can then be channeled to solid waste disposal activities.

This ban may reduce kavera in circulation, but, this will come with costs (in terms of some jobs, investments and revenue). Yet in the end the real problem may still be glaring at us.

The writer is a development economists and researcher
 

 

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