Polythene bag manufacturers caution on new non-recyclable polythene

Manufacturers of polythene bags (buvera) have cautioned that the total ban on their making and use has introduced a new family of polythene that cannot be recycled.

The manufacturers say the new carrier bags that appear to look like cotton belong to the family of polythene that have no reuse value.

Naim Sabra director Pipeline Design and Foam Industries located at Luzira said the problem of wastes was bigger than polythene bags. "When you see a polythene bag on the road side, you do not see what is inside. Now people are using other bags to store wastes," Naim explained.

The company recycles polythene bags and plastics to make bottle caps, egg trays, bags for agricultural seedlings, shoe soles, water pipes and hand bags.

Naim said because of the total ban of plastic bags, new forms of polythene bags were being developed which were non- recyclable.

Amelia Kyambadde, minister for trade and industry said many regional collection centers where people can take plastics and polythene wastes should be created.

"The buvera (carrier bags) has been a menace, but recycling them is one way to clean the environment. Nobody came up to clean the environment. People care piling buvera in their compounds or putting them anywhere to generate money," Kyambadde said.

'My concern is about awareness. Members of the industry should be educating the public on how to protect the environment and how to use polythene carrier bags properly," Kyambadde added.

The minister said some of the benefits of the recycling industry include cleaning the environment, providing employment, tax revenues and promoting regional integration.

She also asked the industry to enforce the use of health and safety gadgets at work such as wearing gas masks, helmets, safety clothing and footwear. The minister promised to bring to the attention of Cabinet issues affecting the recycling industry.

Uganda Plastic Manufacturers and Recyclers Association UMPRA chairman Lugwana Kaggwa said the law made a blanket ban on buvera manufacture and use. Kaggwa said the existing industries are able to recycle the polythene and make other products out of them. He said the absence of kavera would affect industries that were undertaking recycling and using them as part of their raw materials.

"The ban needs to be revisited. It was passed without consultation. We need a win-win situation found for the manufactures of polythene carrier bags and all stakeholders," Kaggwa said.

Kaggwa also the director of Nile Plastics Industries Ltd said there were over 30 industries involved in recycling plastics and polythene bags and many were being affected by the shortage of supply of polythene bags.