Following the soon to be finalised law prohibiting the manufacture, importation and usage of polythene bags, the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) is set to strengthen its fight against plastics.

This was revealed Friday by the Director General of REMA Dr Rose Mukankomeje, in a press conference held at the Ministry of Minerals and Natural Resources Headquarters in Kimihurura.

She underscored the need to revitalise the fight against importation and usage of polythene bags, noting that this time around, with the law in place, the fight will be more fruitful.

"Now that there is a legal instrument in place in support of this cause, the fight against polythene bags for the safety of our environment is going to be taken to another level,” said Mukankomeje.

She called upon the departments charged with law enforcement like police, customs authorities and other stakeholders in this cause, to step up the fight against the use of polythene bags and urged those who have not been involved yet to take up the mantle.

Though until now, the law prohibiting usage, importation and manufacture of polythene bags had not yet been passed, REMA in collaboration with law enforcers at various levels, for instance customs authorities, has been involved in confiscating and impeding importation of polythene bags into the country.

Among the new strategies in the pipeline for the campaign is the establishment of the Environmental Crime Unit in the police. It will partner closely with REMA and other authorities to effect the ban and control of environmental hazards.

According to the draft law, penalties are stipulated for persons who bypass the requirements of the law. Among the penalties include a fine ranging from Rwf 100,000 to 500,000 and a prison sentence  of 6-12 months for manufacturers of polythene bags and any person whose store is found stocked with them.

A fine ranging from Rwf 10,000 to 300,000 will be charged to any person found selling polythene bags and any person found using them will be charged a fine ranging from Rwf 10,000 to 100,000.

Due to bread dealers who were complaining that the ban against polythene bags would downplay the quality of their product, REMA in partnership with some of those dealers devised a move to venture into machines making wax coated packages to replace polythene bags.

However despite the move, bread dealers are claiming that there are  mounting complaints from the public that the wax-coated packages don’t sustain the freshness of the bread.

On a related development, REMA urged the private sector to venture into waste recycling projects. That this will not only be an answer to the many waste-related environmental challenges but also a source of income for the investors.     

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