Mozambique tightens regulation over plastic bags

The Mozambican government announced on Thursday that it has collected eight tons of plastic bags with a thickness of less than 30 micrometres all over the country in its latest campaign to ban their usage.

The Ministry of Health says that plastic bags pose a danger for people's health. The bags also block sanitation systems in urban areas, thus causing flooding.

A multi sector team from the Environment Ministry, Customs Service, and the National Institute for Economic Activities (INAE), among others, are inspecting factories which import and market the plastics in the country.

Inspector general of the Environment Ministry, Emilia Fumo, cited in Thursday's issue of the Maputo daily Noticias, said that the sectors covered with the ban are collaborating with the teams involved in the inspection exercise.

The inspection came after a new regulation announced by authorities in August last year, which banned plastic bags which measure less than 30 micrometers. People were instead advised to use baskets made by either grass or coconut trees.

According to her, companies which are going to violate the ban will be fined.

The collection campaign of the plastic bags kicked off on Feb. 5.

Amid the crackdown, Mozambican company operating in central Sofala province in the production of plastic bags has threatened to cut jobs if the government carries on collecting plastics from the company.

The provincial authorities collected from that company nearly 4,000 plastics bags based on the ban.

According to the authorities, there are around 50 plastic bag producers in the country. Part of them import materials for the production of the bags. Enditem