Polythene bag prices double
Mar 09, 2003
THE prices of polythene bags in Mbarara municipality have been doubled to discourage people from using them and reduce on environmental degradation.
By Ebenezer Bifubyeka in Mbarara
THE prices of polythene bags in Mbarara municipality have been doubled to discourage people from using them and reduce on environmental degradation.
The bags, commonly called buveera, are widely used all over Uganda.
Shops in the suburbs of Rwebikoona and Kiyanja trading centres, have hiked the price of each medium-size polythene bag from sh50 to sh100. Bigger bags are now selling at sh200.
Mbarara district environment officer, Jacquonius Musingwire, said buveera take centuries to decompose. "They prevent the permeation of water to the soil, since they make a layer of their own in the soils," he said.
Musingwire said the environmentalists have decided to try this strategy of encouraging a price increase and see if it can decrease the numbers of buveera being sold.
He said plans to introduce paper-bags are in progress, before buveera are eventually banned. However, Mbarara supermarkets continue to sell the bags at sh50 each.
THE prices of polythene bags in Mbarara municipality have been doubled to discourage people from using them and reduce on environmental degradation.
The bags, commonly called buveera, are widely used all over Uganda.
Shops in the suburbs of Rwebikoona and Kiyanja trading centres, have hiked the price of each medium-size polythene bag from sh50 to sh100. Bigger bags are now selling at sh200.
Mbarara district environment officer, Jacquonius Musingwire, said buveera take centuries to decompose. "They prevent the permeation of water to the soil, since they make a layer of their own in the soils," he said.
Musingwire said the environmentalists have decided to try this strategy of encouraging a price increase and see if it can decrease the numbers of buveera being sold.
He said plans to introduce paper-bags are in progress, before buveera are eventually banned. However, Mbarara supermarkets continue to sell the bags at sh50 each.