Joining other East African nations, the government of Burundi has entered the list of countries that use of plastics has been outlawed. The move will officially begin in 2020.

A decree signed by President Pierre Nkurunziza on August 13, 2018, the country will begin the prohibition and the ”manufacture, import, storage, sale and use of all plastic bags and other plastic packaging.”

The ban’s enforcement will commence in eighteen months- precisely February 2020. The leeway period is to ensure there is enough time for the proper disposal of current stokes and orders already made, according to the authorities.

However, the decree further went ahead to stipulate there could be certain exemptions, especially ”for biodegradable bags, bags and plastic materials used in medical services, and in industrial and pharmaceutical packaging.”

As of now, just a handful of African countries are enforcing any kind of ban on plastics, among them are; Eritrea, Kenya, Morocco, and Rwanda. On a global scale, over 40 countries worldwide have placed a ban on the usage of plastics.

A UN report in 2018 indicates that the drive to combat plastic waste has produced mixed reviews. In Ghana, for instance, successive governments over the last few years have promised to deal with the growing menace of plastic waste and their disposals but have wholly failed in implementing an effective ban. Most countries across West Africa have a similar experience.

There’s a widespread ban of plastics in the Republic of Congo, but not properly enforced. Products are mostly sold wrapped in paper envelopes, foils and old newspapers.

Neba Benson,

BaretaNews Foreign Correspondent/Analyst