Which countries ban plastic bags?

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Once we thought: a plastic bag is hygienic, cheap, beautiful and convenient! And for supermarkets, it is also a business card, an extra way to remind about yourself and "take care of customers." But today the planet is literally suffocating from such care and practicality: islands of garbage are formed in the oceans, big and small dumps are growing everywhere (even in the forest!) …

It seems that one day they will bury us under them. But some countries have taken drastic measures and show us that at least PET bags can be gotten rid of. Oddly enough, "ahead of the rest of the world" is not Japan with Europe …

Rwanda

Back in 2008, a small country in the center of the "black continent" surprised the world community with a bold ban on PET bags, which were replaced by paper ones. 10 years have passed since then, and the city of Kigali (the capital of Rwanda) was completely cleared of the bags that once "decorated" the roadside and were swept away by animals and the wind. The ban also applies to foreigners visiting the African state! Be prepared for the fact that at the airport they will take away part of your luggage, wrapped in "family" and familiar plastic bags.

Kenya

Kenya followed Rwanda's example a year ago. The use and even more so the sale of PET bags is prohibited here under the law, violation of which is fraught with a severe fine and getting to places of imprisonment for up to 4 years. Remember this when traveling to Kenya!

Sri Lanka

The reason for this ban in the island state was a series of monstrous floods and landslides that claimed human lives. It turned out that plastic bags are clogging up city storm sewers. Since then, they have been strictly prohibited, and their use also threatens to go to prison.

Singapore

They are very strict about ecology. Chewing gum and PET bags are prohibited in Singapore, which cannot be sold or used in the city.

Bangladesh

This is another state in Southeast Asia, where plastic bags have been completely abandoned due to the fact that they clog storm sewers and create floods.

Other countries are also grappling with the dominance of plastic bags:

* Australia has banned their use in the capital, Canberra;

* In Chile, plastic is contraindicated in the tourist cities of the coast;

* The multimillion-dollar city of Mumbai (India) refused from PET bags;

* Also some prefectures in Japan did.

Alternatively, bags made of paper or other biodegradable materials are used. Of course, such packaging is more expensive, but in the distant future, the benefits from it are much greater.

On the example of some countries that have risen to save the planet, one can see that it is quite possible to defeat plastic. It remains only to apply their achievements on a worldwide scale! In the meantime, according to scientists, about 2 million PET bags are sold every minute in the world, which quickly end up in the environment and threaten the future of our planet. One can hope that the era of plastic landfills will soon end, because some countries have begun to struggle at the state level … Or you can take matters into your own hands and start sorting garbage at least at your doorstep.