GABORONE, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- The government of Botswana Tuesday revealed its plans to ban plastic carrier and flat bags in the next 30 to 60 days.
The ban follows several failed attempts to manage or control the menace caused by plastic carrier bags in the environment, said Tshekedi Khama, Minister of Environment, Natural Resources and Conservation and Tourism, during a press briefing in Gaborone, capital of Botswana.
Efforts used to be made through various strategies such as public education and awareness on the plastic's proper use like recycling and minimization of its use.
The country also used to develop a system that regulated the thickness of the carrier bags and prohibited thinner ones from use in the country.
These measures however did not yield any positive and sustainable results to curb the proliferation of plastic bags in the environment, hence the ban.
In its pending transition, Botswana is inspired by countries like China and the United Kingdom that have banned plastics in some cities in their countries.
In Africa, Botswana will be following the footsteps of Rwanda and Kenya that have already banned plastics.
Botswana has four plastic producers that will be affected by the ban, but the ministry is adamant that more jobs will be created by this move.
